Kuanlin, who rose to fame as a member of 'Produce 101 Season 2' and later as part of Wanna One, has revealed contemplations about retiring from the entertainment industry.

On the 14th, Kuanlin took to his personal social media to share his decision, stating, "After careful consideration, I have decided to change my course. This account will now be managed by staff due to my career plan adjustments."

Speculations abound that Kuanlin's shift in career direction may lead him towards becoming a film director.

Originally hailing from Taiwan, Kuanlin faced legal disputes with Cube Entertainment in 2019, eventually terminating his contract and relocating to China.

In 2021, he made waves in the film industry with his directorial debut in the short film 'A Fight of Winter and Summer,' which earned acclaim by clinching awards in five categories at the Rome Prism Independent Film Festival, including Director's Award, Best Film, and Best Actress.

Recent reports have also highlighted Kuanlin's application to the prestigious Beijing Film Academy, underscoring his intent to pursue filmmaking seriously.

Known initially for his charming persona as a trainee on 'Produce 101 Season 2' in 2017, Kuanlin swiftly gained popularity and secured a spot in Wanna One after finishing 7th in the final rankings.

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BTS’s V is proving once again why he’s a global music powerhouse! His song “Winter Ahead (with Park Hyo Shin)” has officially surpassed 210 million streams on Spotify, showing its long-lasting popularity.

On February 26, Winter Ahead crossed the 210 million stream mark on the world’s biggest music platform, Spotify. Since its release, the song has been charting for 91 consecutive days on both the Global Spotify Chart and Europe’s Apple Music Daily Song Chart, proving its strong presence.

Originally released on November 29, 2023, Winter Ahead made a huge impact on year-end charts for 2024. It debuted at No. 99 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, topped Billboard’s Holiday Digital Song Sales chart at No.1, and ranked No. 62 on Billboard’s Holiday Top 100.

Over in the UK, the song entered the Official Singles Chart at No. 86, while securing No.1 on the Official Singles Downloads Chart and No.2 on the Singles Sales Chart, proving its incredible digital sales power.

The music video for Winter Ahead also became a hot topic! V transformed into a sculptor, delivering a deep and emotional performance with his expressive acting, pulling fans into the song’s atmosphere.

Despite being 6 minutes and 22 seconds long, the video went viral, ranking No.1 on the "Music Video Trending Worldwide" chart.

On TIDAL, a global high-quality streaming platform, Winter Ahead made history as the longest-running K-pop song at No.1 on the Global Top Video chart.

It also topped Top Video charts in several countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Spain, Australia, and Singapore.

Even Billboard couldn’t resist the charm of Winter Ahead! The song was featured in "The 27 Best Winter Songs for the Season," with Billboard praising it as "evoking the feeling of the first day of winter, with harmonies as fresh as a snowflake."

They also noted that "its impact will last far beyond December 25."

Additionally, Winter Ahead was voted No.1 on Billboard’s ‘2024 Fan-Favorite Songs’ list, proving that fans can’t get enough of V’s music.

With this, V has now charted three songs on Billboard’s Holiday Hot 100, following Christmas Tree (2021) and his cover of White Christmas. He is officially the only K-pop artist to achieve this!

Even more impressively, he holds the record as the only K-pop artist to have three songs reach No.1 on Billboard’s Holiday Digital Song Sales chart, solidifying his dominance in the holiday music scene.

With Winter Ahead continuing to shine worldwide, V once again proves why he’s the ultimate ‘Winter King’ of K-pop.

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