Aespa, a popular idol group under SM Entertainment, is creating a sensation in the K-pop world by achieving a 'million-seller' in a week after the album's release.

According to the Circle Chart on the 14th, Aespa's second mini-album 'Girls' recorded sales of 1,426,000 copies in the first week of release.

Album sales in the first week of release are often called Initial Chodong. K-pop fans regard Initial Chodong as one of the important indicators to gauge the worldwide popularity of the idol they support.

Aespa's Initial Chodong is the highest among all Korean girl groups.

Before Aespa, BLACKPINK held first place in Initial Chodong among girl groups.

In October 2020, Blackpink set a new record for the first week of a girl group with their 1st full-length album 'THE ALBUM', selling 680,000 copies in the first week.

However, even before the release of the 'Girls' album, Aespa had foretold that it would set a new record by breaking through 1.61 million pre-orders.

The attention of people in the music industry is being focused on the remarkable achievements of Aespa, which is called the 4th generation representative girl group.

On the other hand, Aespa, who debuted in November 2020, has been active around the world since the release of their second mini-album 'Girls' on July 8th.

In April, they appeared at Coachella, the largest outdoor music festival in the United States, and first unveiled the stage for the song 'Life's Too Short' from the album.

In addition, Aespa was the first K-pop girl group to attend and give a speech at the 'UN 2022 High-Level Forum for Sustainable Development' held at the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York on the 5th.

Aespa, which debuted in the music industry in November 2020, set a record in less than two years after debut and established itself as a representative of K-Pop. 

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Sung Si Kyung has finally revealed why he’s still not married, and his answer might surprise you!

In the December 29th episode of Heo Young Man's Food Travel on TV CHOSUN, the popular singer joined Chef Heo Young Man to taste some delicious year-end dishes.

While many know Sung Si Kyung for his smooth voice and impressive singing career, it was his personal life that became the hot topic during the show.

Chef Heo Young Man, curious about Sung's single status, asked him a bold question: "Why haven’t you gotten married?" Sung Si Kyung, clearly caught off guard, responded with a laugh and a bitter expression, even taking a sip of his drink as the scene turned playful.

Sung Si Kyung also opened up about some of the rumors surrounding him. He addressed the stories that he learned Japanese in just six months and can supposedly drink up to 30 bottles of soju, but he laughed it off, admitting he is far from the "invincible" figure people think he is. Despite his fame, fortune, and popularity, he described himself as a "boring person."

When asked what he spends all his money on, Sung Si Kyung shared, "I’m not interested in cars, clothes, or watches," giving a very honest and down-to-earth answer.

This episode also featured an exciting gathering of food industry giants, making the episode even more special. Sung Si Kyung, who has a popular YouTube channel with over 2 million subscribers, regularly shares his favorite restaurants and food spots.

He is known for traveling across the country to scout out hidden gems in the food scene, a task he compares to his approach in other parts of his life.

Sung shared, “I’m inspired by Heo Young Man’s Food Travel to search even harder for great food places,” showing how he’s driven by both camaraderie and a bit of friendly competition in the food world.

He even shared that the process of contacting restaurants feels similar to confessing his feelings to someone he likes—revealing just how much thought and care he puts into every aspect of his work.

Source: [1]