(G)I-DLE's Soyeon recently shared some insights on idol income and royalties.

On July 16th, the YouTube channel Mimiminu posted a video titled "It took 3 years to clear the debt. Singing Queencard in a living room karaoke in front of (G)I-DLE's Jeon Soyeon."

In the video, YouTuber Mimiminu asked Soyeon about idol income. Soyeon said, "Singers earn a lot when their songs and albums do well. Good songs also mean higher advertising fees."

Soyeon explained the impact of chart rankings, saying, "Being in the top 100 makes a huge difference. If a song is in the top 1000, you can at least make a living. If it's in the top 100, you can live comfortably."

When asked about having number one hits, Soyeon said, "Even if a song is number one, it doesn't bring in a lot of money. 'LATATA' was in the top 20, and the revenue felt similar to what it would be now if it was number one. Sometimes it even felt like more. Since you only get 1,000 KRW (about $1) per play, it doesn't feel like a pension."

Soyeon addressed the idea that celebrities live comfortably on royalties, saying, "Royalties are divided among company revenue, distributor revenue, and co-writers. So, only about 3% comes to me."

She added, "Every company has different contracts. Some require you to pay off debts, some clear your debts, and some even gift you your debut album. In our case, we had to pay off our debts. It took three years to clear the costs of being a trainee and debuting, even though we were successful from the start."

Soyeon also revealed that her earnings could vary greatly, from making 1 billion KRW (about $1 million) in a month to as little as 100,000 KRW (about $100).

(G)I-DLE, with Soyeon as a member, made a comeback on the 8th with their new song "Klaxon."

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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!

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