Even while serving in the military, BTS's V continues to make a huge impact on Instagram, showing off his global popularity.

According to Pop Core, a pop culture media outlet, V's posts secured four spots in the 'Top 12 Most Liked Posts on Instagram in 2024.'

This means that V had a third of the top posts, making him the artist with the most entries on the list, proving his massive influence even during his military hiatus.

Other artists on the list include Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, and Billie Eilish. Justin Bieber’s post, a photo of his baby’s feet celebrating the birth of his first child, took the top spot.

V came in second with a post from January 15th, where he shared a scene from IU's "Love Wins All" music video with the caption "Taejun, Ji Hye, be happy."

In the video, V played a character expressing love that goes beyond social barriers, leaving a strong impression with his powerful performance.

Fans became deeply connected to the story in the music video, naming the characters "Taejun" and "Ji Hye." They were especially excited to see V, even during his military service, engaging with the storyline by mentioning the "Taejun, Ji Hye" meme.

Another post by V, a behind-the-scenes photo from the "Love Wins All" music video, ranked fifth with 12.88 million likes. A photoshoot collaboration between Celine and Harper's Bazaar, where V is a global ambassador, took seventh place with 12.59 million likes. A photo from V's photobook "TYPE 1," posted on July 21st, placed 11th.

Additionally, a post by RM on June 15th, celebrating Jin's discharge from the military and showing the members reunited, ranked eighth with 12.38 million likes, catching a lot of attention.

Source: [1]

A recent KBS drama shoot starring Girls' Generation's Seohyun and 2PM's Taecyeon has sparked controversy after accusations of damaging a UNESCO World Heritage site.

On January 2, architect Min Seo Hong took to Facebook to criticize the production of the upcoming drama I Took the Male Lead's First Night, which used Byeongsan Seowon, a historic Korean Confucian academy, as a filming location.

His post, titled "An Account of What I Witnessed at Byeongsan Seowon," detailed shocking allegations about the crew's actions.

Min shared that he visited Byeongsan Seowon on December 30, only to find the site bustling with drama staff.

"As I approached, I saw crew members moving around. At first, I didn’t realize it was a filming set, but when I entered the seowon, I felt uneasy knowing this historic site was being used this way," he wrote.

What he saw inside was alarming. According to Min, props were scattered throughout the seowon, and staff were hammering nails into wooden pillars to hang lights.

When he confronted them, they reportedly dismissed his concerns, saying, "We already have permission from Andong City. If you’re curious, contact them."

Determined to take action, Min contacted Andong City’s Cultural Heritage Department. A city official admitted they had approved the filming but appeared unaware of the damage being done.

"When I asked if they knew about the nails in the wooden pillars, they seemed flustered and promised to order their removal immediately," Min shared.

Experts later informed Min that incidents like this aren’t uncommon, with some modern heritage sites even being dismantled for filming. "People might think hammering nails is minor, but in traditional Korean houses, it’s a big deal to even drive in one nail. For cultural heritage, this should never happen," he said.

Min’s biggest concern is the decision to allow such a valuable site, designated as Historic Site No. 260 and a UNESCO World Heritage site, to be used for filming at all. "This was a KBS drama production, and it’s deplorable that they showed such little care for cultural heritage," he added.

The drama, I Took the Male Lead's First Night, is already drawing backlash before its release, with many netizens expressing anger over the alleged damage to the historic site. Comments online include:

"Why are cultural heritage sites being used as filming locations in the first place?"

"If this is true, KBS owes an apology not just to viewers but to the nation."

"Respect for cultural heritage should come before making a drama."

Neither KBS nor the drama's production team has released an official statement regarding the allegations.

However, the issue has sparked heated debate, with many calling for stricter regulations on the use of heritage sites for filming.

Source: [1]