BTS’s V continues to show his global popularity as his song "Friends" has now reached over 340 million streams on Spotify.

On September 14 (KST), V’s solo track "Friends," which was released on March 15, officially hit the milestone on Spotify, the world’s biggest music streaming platform.

"Friends" made waves in 2024 by becoming the most-streamed K-pop solo song in Spotify's mid-year summary. It also ranked in the top 10 for the longest-charting K-pop solo songs on the global Spotify chart.

V’s total streams across his Spotify profile have now exceeded 3.5 billion, proving his massive international impact even while serving in the military.

When it was first released, "Friends" debuted at No. 65 on the U.S. Billboard’s "Hot 100" chart, No. 5 on the "Global 200," and No. 3 on the "Billboard Global (Excluding U.S.)" chart.

The song also performed well in the UK, debuting at No. 13 on the Official Singles Chart and staying for two weeks. It also hit No. 3 on the "Official Big Top 40" after just two days of tracking, staying on the chart for five weeks, setting a record for the longest-charting K-pop song.

"Friends" was also the first 2024 song to reach No. 1 on iTunes in 100 countries, later topping the charts in 102 countries overall.

The music video for "Friends" has also been loved by fans worldwide. It topped YouTube’s World Trending Music chart right after release and held the No. 1 spot for 14 straight days.

Additionally, it became the first K-pop music video to top the U.S. "TIDAL Top Video" chart and hit No. 1 in 23 countries on the global platform.

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]