BTS member Jimin is proving his global popularity with his hit song 'Who.'

The title track from his second solo album MUSE has claimed the No. 1 spot on the Circle Chart's Global K-Pop Chart for 12 consecutive weeks, according to the 41st-week chart released on October 17. 'Who' is the first and only song in 2024 to hold the No. 1 position on the Circle Chart for this long.

On September 26, 'Who' broke the previous 8-week record held by aespa's 'Supernova' and ILLIT's 'Magnetic,' making it the song with the most weeks at No. 1 on the Circle Chart Global K-Pop Chart in 2024. Since then, Jimin has extended his own record to 12 weeks.

The Global K-Pop Chart is based on streaming data from around the world. 'Who' debuted at No. 7 in the 29th week chart after just two days of tracking.

By the 30th week, with a full week of data, the song hit No. 1 and has kept that spot through the 41st week, showing its huge appeal.

Jimin also topped the Global K-Pop Chart in the 27th week of 2024 with his pre-release track 'Smeraldo Garden Marching Band' from MUSE. With 'Who' hitting No. 1 twelve times, Jimin now has a total of 13 No. 1 titles in 2024, a fantastic achievement!

Additionally, 'Who' was No. 1 on the Circle Chart's Global K-Pop Monthly Ranking for September. After debuting at No. 3 in July with just 13 days of tracking, 'Who' held the top spot for both August and September, marking two months in a row at No. 1.

Furthermore, 'Who' recently climbed to No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, showcasing its lasting popularity. On Spotify, 'Who' surpassed 800 million streams, becoming the fastest solo song by a K-pop artist to reach this milestone, further proving Jimin's global impact.

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]