BTS's Jungkook continues to show his incredible star power with his solo album, 'GOLDEN,' which sold out right after pre-orders began and immediately hit the No. 1 spot on various bestseller charts.

On October 2, 'GOLDEN' LP went up for pre-order on Target's official online store in the U.S. and sold out the same day. The album was also sold out soon after on 'Music Korea' and 'Music Plant' online stores.

'GOLDEN' LP didn't stop there! It claimed the top spot on several charts, including No. 1 in the CD/LP section of the real-time bestseller chart on 'Yes24.' It also hit No. 1 on the overall bestseller list on 'Aladin' and took the top spot in the daily album chart on 'Hottracks' at Kyobo Bookstore.

Before its official release, 'GOLDEN' received a lot of praise from the global media. USA Today praised the album for blending different genres like R&B, EDM, disco funk, and pop ballads. They even compared Jungkook to big names like Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes, Usher, and Michael Jackson, saying, "'GOLDEN' cements Jungkook’s path to pop superstardom."

AP News called 'GOLDEN' "one of the most powerful pop debuts of the year." UK music magazine NME went a step further, calling Jungkook the "new king of pop" and praising his versatility, saying, "Jungkook is more than ready to claim the throne, and 'GOLDEN' proves it."

The album has already made it onto prestigious lists like Rolling Stone's 'Best Music of 2023,' MTV's 'Record-Breaking Albums of 2023,' and The New York Times' 'Best Albums of 2023.'

'GOLDEN' also set records on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, staying there for 24 consecutive weeks—the longest for any Asian solo artist. In the UK, the album stayed on the Official Albums Chart Top 100 for eight weeks, setting another record for a K-pop solo artist.

On Spotify, 'GOLDEN' broke another record as the first and fastest studio album by an Asian artist to surpass 4.3 billion streams.

In just five hours after its release, 'GOLDEN' sold over 2 million copies, earning the title of 'Double Million Seller.' It also set a new record for the highest first-week album sales by a K-pop solo artist. Within two weeks, the album sold over 2.5 million copies, making it the first solo album in 13 years to do so on Hanteo Chart.

Jungkook's personal documentary, 'JUNG KOOK: I AM STILL,' also saw major success, grossing over $11.65 million USD globally within just 11 days of its release.

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Hyun Bin is finally addressing the long-standing "ddongcha" (poop car) theory surrounding his character from My Name is Kim Sam-soon—and he's not holding back!

In an interview on the 19th with Star News, the beloved actor confessed, "I was wrong," responding to the reevaluation of his iconic role as Hyun Jin-heon from the 2005 hit drama. The "ddongcha" theory has been a subject of online debate for years, with many viewers critiquing Hyun Jin-heon’s character as overly arrogant and entitled.

Hyun Bin, who first rose to fame in My Name is Kim Sam-soon, took the time to reflect on the character that made him a household name. He shared, “I was just following the script; there were no personal opinions added to the character of Hyun Jin-heon. At that time, I knew Hyun Jin-heon was portrayed as a ‘bad boy,’ and the way it was expressed was different from today’s standards.”

With My Name is Kim Sam-soon now being re-released as part of Wavve's "New Classic" project, fans are revisiting the 2005 drama, and the character of Hyun Jin-heon is under fresh scrutiny. Director Kim Yun-cheol even admitted that the "prince on a white horse" and "bad boy" tropes that once worked in 2005 don’t quite match today's sensibilities, leading to edits in the 2024 version.

Hyun Bin humbly acknowledged his gratitude for his successful career and hit works, saying, "It’s wonderful and I am grateful to have so many hit works. I’ve been fortunate to work with amazing writers, directors, and actors. Thanks to them, I’ve received a lot of attention and love." He also shared a sense of humility, noting, “But I never know when that luck will come again."

Despite the dramatic shift in perspective on his character, Hyun Bin’s charm and dedication remain strong. Fans are eager to see him in his upcoming film Harbin (directed by Woo Min-ho), set to be released on the 24th.

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