Former BIGBANG member T.O.P. has revealed his stance regarding the cancellation of the DearMoon Project.

The DearMoon Project announced through its official account on June 1st, "Unfortunately, the first private lunar orbit project, DearMoon, has been canceled. We thank everyone who has supported us so far."

T.O.P., who participated as a crew member in the project, also stated on his personal account, "You may have heard, but unfortunately, the DearMoon Project has been canceled," and "However, I deeply appreciate Yusaku Maezawa, who conceptualized the DearMoon Project."

He continued, "It was the greatest and most beautiful art project for the advancement of humanity that no one in the world could have imagined. The courage to attempt this mission was truly an extraordinary witness," emphasizing, "My dream never ends."

He said, "Being selected as a crew member was one of the greatest honors of my life. I am filled with gratitude for the experiences and friendships I gained through this process. Joining the DearMoon Project for a few years, I felt a deep and direct connection between my body and soul with the moon. "

He added, "My body and soul, connected to the moon and space, have already inspired many new pieces of music. The moon will nourish my soul and fill it with meaning and inspiration forever."

Finally, T.O.P. stated, "My dream of traveling to the moon is not over. It has become the ultimate and greatest goal, the official challenge, and the core mission of my life," adding, "Through this process, I feel a deep sense of responsibility to all those who have supported and endorsed me."

Earlier, T.O.P. had announced his participation in the DearMoon project, a lunar tourism project conducted by SpaceX, a US space exploration company founded by Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, in 2022.

The project aimed to involve a crew of eight, including T.O.P., in the first civilian lunar flight, which was scheduled to orbit the moon for about a week aboard a spacecraft developed by SpaceX.

However, in November of last year, the DearMoon project announced, "Although originally aimed for launch by the end of 2023, due to ongoing spacecraft development, the launch will not take place this year," and then, about six months later, announced the cancellation of the project.

Source[1]

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)