Big stars are making surprise appearances in dramas and movies.

Song Seung Heon, starring in tvN's 'Player 2', has lined up special appearances that remind us of award shows. Season 1 participants like Jung Soo Jung and stars including Jeon Hyun Moo, Heo Sung Tae, Nana, Ryu Hwa Young, and Lee Soo Hyuk are grabbing attention with their significant roles.

Lately, there's a trend of top stars appearing in movies and dramas. Kim Tae Hee appeared in JTBC's 'Welcome to Sampo', while Kwon Yuri, Park Tae Hwan, and Han Seung Yeon made appearances in tvN's 'Seonjae Up and Away'.

Song Joong Ki surprised fans as lawyer Vincent Joe in tvN's 'Queen of Tears'.

Kim Tae Hee has worked with 'Welcome to Sampo' writer Kwon Hye Joo before, and Song Joong Ki with 'Queen of Tears' director Kim Hee Won on 'Vincent Joe' (2021). Their decisions to cameo were influenced by past collaborations and requests.

In movies, Jeon Do Yeon, seen in Director Byun Sung Hyun's 'Night in Paradise' on Netflix, will appear in Byun's new work 'Good News'.

Gong Yoo and Lee Jong Suk appeared in 'Wonderland' and 'Broker'. Gong Yoo played AI developer Sung Jun, deeply engaging viewers emotionally. Management SOOP talents Bae Suzy, Choi Woo Shik, and Jung Yoo Mi's roles in 'Broker' led to Gong Yoo's cameo.

In 'Broker', Lee Jong Suk played a key role alongside Kang Dong Won's character Yeong Il, handling contract killings and becoming a trusted ally, even influencing events after his death.

In 'Escape', actors like Seo Hyun Woo, Lee Sung Wook, Lee Som, and Shin Hyun Ji appeared at crucial moments, enhancing the plot's immersion. Kim Dong Wook was pivotal in 'Hijacking', anchoring the film's suspense.

With fewer productions due to recent circumstances, actors find opportunities for meaningful cameos, balancing loyalty and practicality.

Entertainment critic Jung Deok Hyun commented, "With fewer new productions, actors are finding it easier to take roles that showcase their skills. This fosters loyalty and benefits for writers, directors, and production companies." He added, "Top actors appear in well-made productions with less risk, benefiting everyone."

However, concerns about disrupting drama flow or overemphasis on cameos have emerged. Insiders note these issues arise when production goals aren't clear from the start.

A drama production company representative stated, "Even for brief cameos, there must be clear purpose and relevance. Sometimes, content relies too much on star power or introduces characters that don't fit the story. Careful planning by writers and directors is crucial."

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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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