BTS's V continues to prove his massive popularity in Japan, dominating various ranking sites once again.

From September 30 to October 6, V took 1st place in the male idol ranking on Japan’s popular idol site, 'NEHAN,' marking his 184th week at the top! He also grabbed 1st place for 33 weeks straight in the 'Actor Popularity Ranking' category on 'BIHAN,' a site dedicated to Korean actors. On top of that, V has held the top spot for 180 weeks in the ‘20s Korean Actor’ category.

But that's not all! On 'K-board,' a K-culture site, V ranked 1st for 140 weeks in the 'K-pop Idol Popularity Ranking.' He also led the ‘Korean Drama Male Actor Election’ and ‘Flower Boy Election,’ securing his spot both in real-time and overall rankings. His popularity on 'KPOP JUICE' is unbeatable too, where he received over 5.09 million votes, taking 1st place in all periods.

Japan is currently experiencing its "fourth Hallyu wave," with K-pop, K-dramas, and Korean beauty products becoming hugely popular. V has played a big part in this. His song for the drama Itaewon Class helped bring many K-pop fans into the world of K-dramas, and his appearance in Hwarang also made a strong impact, leading to a stage adaptation in Japan.

During his promotional activities in Japan last year, V appeared on popular TV shows like TBS and Fuji TV, capturing the attention of Japanese viewers. After the broadcasts, he trended on Yahoo Japan, with V-related keywords dominating the search rankings.

Although V has only appeared in one drama, Hwarang, fans in Japan are eagerly waiting for more from actor Kim Taehyung. He’s consistently voted as the most popular Korean actor, showing just how loved he is.

V’s music career is just as successful. His solo album Layover, released last year, hit the highest spot for a K-pop solo artist on Japan’s Oricon 'Yearly Ranking 2023' and was the only solo album in the ‘Best-Selling K-pop Albums Top 10’ chart. His latest LP for Layover also topped the Oricon 'Daily Album Ranking' and Amazon Japan’s sales charts.

V’s popularity in Japan as both a singer and actor is undeniable, and it seems like there's no stopping him.

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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]