BTS's Jimin's song 'Who' is being loved as the best K-pop song of the year. 'Who,' the title track from Jimin's second solo album 'MUSE,' earned 375,000 points on the United World Chart for week 31 of 2024, securing the number one spot. This is the highest debut of the year.

The United World Chart, published by 'Media Traffic,' is a global music chart based on official charts worldwide. It applies weightings according to the size of each country's music market, using the latest International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) statistics.

With this achievement, Jimin set the record for the highest debut points for a K-pop solo artist in 2024. His first solo album 'FACE,' with the title track 'Like Crazy,' earned 387,000 points in week 14 of 2023, making it the biggest debut by a Korean solo artist at that time. This puts Jimin at the top with the second-highest record for a K-pop solo song.

'FACE' also set the record for the largest debut by a Korean solo artist in album sales, selling 1,106,000 copies in week 14 of 2023 and holding the top spot for two weeks with 279,000 copies in week 15. It ranked 23rd on the United World Chart's Global Year-End Album Chart for 2023, being the only album by a Korean solo artist in the top 30, showing Jimin's strong solo presence.

Jimin's second solo album 'MUSE' and its title track 'Who' ranked second on the US Billboard main album chart and 14th on the singles chart for the week of August 4. It also topped the global daily chart on Spotify, the world's largest streaming platform, for eight consecutive days, setting a record for the longest-running number one K-pop solo song, despite Jimin's inactivity due to military service.

Source [1]

Actor Song Kang Ho shocked fans by revealing the surprising reason he initially turned down the iconic role in Joint Security Area (JSA).

On February 4, the movie JSA was celebrated as a "Visionary" work at a special GV (Guest Visit) event for CJ ENM’s 30th anniversary at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul. The event was attended by director Park Chan-wook and stars like Song Kang Ho, Lee Byung Hun, Lee Young Ae, Kim Tae Woo, and Ko Kyung Beom, who shared stories from the making of the film.

Joint Security Area, a groundbreaking film by director Park Chan-wook, tells the story of North and South Korean soldiers caught in a tragic incident at the border, highlighting the human side of the divided nations. The film has been widely praised for changing the perception of inter-Korean relations and is seen as a key moment in Korean cinema.

During the event, Song Kang Ho admitted that he turned down the JSA script at first, saying, "The script was just too perfect. It was so well-written and tightly woven that I couldn’t believe it. I thought, ‘Is this really Korean cinema at this level?’ I felt it was too good, and I figured the movie wouldn’t live up to the script."

He also mentioned that at the time, Park Chan-wook’s previous films hadn’t done well, which made him even more doubtful. "But after meeting the director, I started to trust him," Song Kang Ho added.

Reflecting on the film 20 years later, Song Kang Ho joked, "I was flipping through channels and watched JSA again. I thought, ‘There was a time when I wasn’t envious of Lee Byung Hun,’ but he looked so handsome and cool back then." He continued, laughing, "One thing about Park Chan-wook's films is that they have a depth and elegance that you just can’t forget. It’s probably why his new movie is called I Can’t Help It."

Song Kang Ho also spoke fondly of reuniting with his JSA co-stars after 25 years. He shared, "We didn’t watch the film together, but we had a cozy two-hour dinner. After all this time, it felt nostalgic. It was heartwarming to sit together again and reminisce about the past. It really made me realize how meaningful these moments are."

Source (1)