K-Pop fans were surprised to learn that Apink's Naeun and BIGBANG's G-Dragon are close friends.

The revelation came after G-Dragon sent her a pair of shoes from his new collection, KWONDO, peaceminusone. The shoes are part of a limited edition of 88 pairs, which is a trademark of the brand.

The number 88 is significant to G-Dragon as he was born in 1988.Naeun took to Instagram to express her gratitude for the gift, sharing a photo of the shoes and tagging the brands.

While some fans were shocked to see the two idols' friendship, others were not surprised, citing the close relationships between idols from the 2nd generation of K-Pop groups.

https://twitter.com/justforapunk/status/1092689626668679168?s=20

Here are some reactions from netizens:

"I can't believe they're friends! This is such a surprise!"

"Wow, Naeun is so lucky to receive a pair of shoes from G-Dragon's new collection!"

"I'm not surprised they're friends. K-Pop idols have close relationships, especially from the 2nd generation."

"I hope they collaborate on a project together someday."

"G-Dragon is such a generous person to give away limited edition items to his friends."

"I can't wait to see Naeun wear those shoes on stage!"

"I love seeing friendships between idols from different groups."

"This just proves that K-Pop idols are not just colleagues, but also friends."

"I wish I could be friends with G-Dragon too!"

"It's nice to see that Naeun and G-Dragon have a genuine friendship outside of their careers."

"All of the people in the second generation are actually close. They don't show it, though. Girls' Generation and BIGBANG were close, and T.O.P and Gu Hara were, too, which was a surprise"

"G-Dragon is close with most of the female idols from the second generation. It's great that it doesn't make him act up"

"Is it because both of them are signed to YG Entertainment?"

"Son Naeun really does have a lot of friends. I think she just quietly meets them and doesn't say anything about it"

"Originally, there were a lot of surprising friendships between celebrities"

What are your thoughts?

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BTS's Jin continues to shine bright with his massive popularity, securing the No. 1 spot in the MY1PICK weekly rankings for an impressive 43 consecutive weeks!

In the MY1PICK K-POP Individual Category Weekly Ranking for the third week of December (December 16–22), Jin earned a massive 6,154,905 hearts, keeping his position at the top. From the 5th week of February to the 3rd week of December, Jin has been unbeatable in the weekly rankings, proving he has an enormous fanbase and global influence.

But Jin’s achievements don’t stop there. In November, he dominated the K-POP Individual Category Monthly Ranking, topping it with 25,452,283 hearts. He has held the No. 1 spot for 11 months straight, from January to November, showing his continuous popularity throughout the year.

Jin also claimed victory in the One Pick Chart’s “November Monthly Chart K-POP (Solo)” category, holding the No. 1 position for 8 months in a row, from April to November. On top of that, he won the 2024 Season Chart K-POP (SOLO) for both the 2nd and 3rd quarters, making him the best One Pick star of the season.

The Season Chart awards honor artists who have consistently earned love from fans, with a physical trophy given to the top artist. Jin’s back-to-back victories solidify his place as one of the most beloved stars in K-pop.

Jin’s fan power doesn’t end with rankings. He’s also triumphed in numerous themed votes, taking first place in categories like “Star You Want to Collect All Photo Cards Of,” “Star You Want to See First Pitch at a Baseball Game,” “Best Cooking Genius Idol,” “Star Who Would Be the Best Child,” and “Star You Would Fall in Love With at First Sight.” His reward advertisement for the “Star You Want to Collect All Photo Cards Of” vote began airing on December 26 and can be seen at Yeoksam Station until December 30.

Meanwhile, Jin’s first solo album Happy was released on November 15 and quickly became a global hit, showcasing his talents as a solo artist. He held a special showcase, Jin ‘Happy’ Special Stage, on November 16 and 17, where fans were captivated by his beautiful vocals and flawless live performance.

Jin has also been keeping busy with appearances on popular variety shows like Salon Drip 2, Neighborhood Star K4, and Limousine Service. He’s also appeared on famous American talk shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Japan’s top music program Venue 101, where he impressed fans with his humor and solid live performances. His reputation as the “Vocal King” and “Live King” is stronger than ever!

As if that wasn't enough, Jin is also gaining attention globally for singing the main theme song for the new tvN drama Ask the Stars. Jin's talents continue to wow the world, and it's clear he's not slowing down anytime soon!

Source (1)