BTS member Jimin has made history once again, proving his massive popularity around the world. His solo songs have topped the U.S. sales charts for two years in a row, making him the best-selling K-pop artist in the U.S.

Jimin's solo song "Who", released on July 19, 2024, became the highest-selling K-pop song in the U.S. by November 2024.

This continues the success of his previous solo song "Like Crazy", which also took the top spot last year.

"Like Crazy" is still doing well, ranking 6th among the top-selling K-pop songs in the U.S. for 2024, securing Jimin's place in the top 10 of the U.S. K-pop sales chart.

Jimin’s second solo album MUSE, which features "Who", has become the best-selling K-pop solo album in the U.S. for 2024, based on pure album sales. This shows that Jimmmerica (Jimin + America) is a force to be reckoned with.

Before his solo career, Jimin’s songs "Lie," "Serendipity," and "Filter," which were featured on BTS albums, each sold over 700,000 units in the U.S., earning him Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Jimin’s influence in the U.S. music scene has always been strong, and now "Like Crazy" and "Who" have each sold over a million units and are expected to receive RIAA Platinum certification.

"Who" made history as the first K-pop song to surpass 200 million streams on U.S. Spotify, including both group and solo tracks.

By November 29, it reached over 1.2 million streams and ranked 12th on the U.S. Daily Top Songs chart, marking the highest position ever for a K-pop song.

It also surpassed 230 million streams, becoming the first K-pop song to enter the top 300 in U.S. Spotify history, even beating Rihanna and Drake’s "Work" to reach 293rd place.

In addition to his music success, Jimin’s exhibition The Truth Untold: The Heartfelt Truth had a successful run in Korea and opened in Los Angeles on November 29.

Fans lined up early, and the exhibition will be open until December 15 before moving to Tokyo, Japan, in January 2025.

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Actor Song Kang Ho shocked fans by revealing the surprising reason he initially turned down the iconic role in Joint Security Area (JSA).

On February 4, the movie JSA was celebrated as a "Visionary" work at a special GV (Guest Visit) event for CJ ENM’s 30th anniversary at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul. The event was attended by director Park Chan-wook and stars like Song Kang Ho, Lee Byung Hun, Lee Young Ae, Kim Tae Woo, and Ko Kyung Beom, who shared stories from the making of the film.

Joint Security Area, a groundbreaking film by director Park Chan-wook, tells the story of North and South Korean soldiers caught in a tragic incident at the border, highlighting the human side of the divided nations. The film has been widely praised for changing the perception of inter-Korean relations and is seen as a key moment in Korean cinema.

During the event, Song Kang Ho admitted that he turned down the JSA script at first, saying, "The script was just too perfect. It was so well-written and tightly woven that I couldn’t believe it. I thought, ‘Is this really Korean cinema at this level?’ I felt it was too good, and I figured the movie wouldn’t live up to the script."

He also mentioned that at the time, Park Chan-wook’s previous films hadn’t done well, which made him even more doubtful. "But after meeting the director, I started to trust him," Song Kang Ho added.

Reflecting on the film 20 years later, Song Kang Ho joked, "I was flipping through channels and watched JSA again. I thought, ‘There was a time when I wasn’t envious of Lee Byung Hun,’ but he looked so handsome and cool back then." He continued, laughing, "One thing about Park Chan-wook's films is that they have a depth and elegance that you just can’t forget. It’s probably why his new movie is called I Can’t Help It."

Song Kang Ho also spoke fondly of reuniting with his JSA co-stars after 25 years. He shared, "We didn’t watch the film together, but we had a cozy two-hour dinner. After all this time, it felt nostalgic. It was heartwarming to sit together again and reminisce about the past. It really made me realize how meaningful these moments are."

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