MBC’s “When the Phone Rings” wrapped up its Friday-Saturday drama run on January 4 with a jaw-dropping twist and a shocking bed scene that had fans talking.

The finale delivered a heart-pounding conclusion to the intense romance-thriller series, with Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin giving their best performances yet.

The highly anticipated final episode reached impressive nationwide ratings of 8.6%, and in the metropolitan area, it garnered a solid 8.5%. More impressively, the key 2049 demographic rating hit an all-time high of 3.1%.

But it was a gripping moment—where Baek Sa Eon (Yoo Yeon Seok) confesses his painful reasons for leaving Hong Hee Joo (Chae Soo Bin)—that sent ratings soaring to a peak of 10.1%, capturing viewers' hearts and keeping them on the edge of their seats.

In the finale, Sa Eon and Hee Joo’s love story reached its emotional climax as Sa Eon makes a life-changing decision to leave her.

The couple’s separation left Hee Joo heartbroken, and the audience felt her pain as she waited for his return. Meanwhile, Sa Eon’s journey took an unexpected turn as the mystery behind his disappearance unfolded in the land of Argana.

Hee Joo’s relentless pursuit of Sa Eon led to a shocking phone call from Argana, sparking her determination to reunite with him.

As tensions rose, the couple faced danger and betrayal, but their reunion was nothing short of unforgettable. Fans were left in awe as the long-awaited kiss between the two characters spoke volumes about their enduring love.

In the end, Sa Eon, now reborn as Baek Yoo Yeon, made a touching proposal to Hee Joo, vowing to marry her as his true self, not as the man he once was. Their story concluded with a sweet, peaceful life together, bringing viewers the perfect "Saju couple" happy ending that everyone had been hoping for.

The finale of “When the Phone Rings” was a thrilling ride from start to finish, blending heart-pounding suspense with emotional romance.

The powerful performances, especially from Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin, were key to the series’ success, and director Park Sang Woo’s masterful storytelling ensured the drama’s place as a classic.

With the unexpected twist, breathtaking finale, and record-breaking viewership, the drama delivered a fitting and unforgettable conclusion.

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BTS’s V is proving once again why he’s a global music powerhouse! His song “Winter Ahead (with Park Hyo Shin)” has officially surpassed 210 million streams on Spotify, showing its long-lasting popularity.

On February 26, Winter Ahead crossed the 210 million stream mark on the world’s biggest music platform, Spotify. Since its release, the song has been charting for 91 consecutive days on both the Global Spotify Chart and Europe’s Apple Music Daily Song Chart, proving its strong presence.

Originally released on November 29, 2023, Winter Ahead made a huge impact on year-end charts for 2024. It debuted at No. 99 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, topped Billboard’s Holiday Digital Song Sales chart at No.1, and ranked No. 62 on Billboard’s Holiday Top 100.

Over in the UK, the song entered the Official Singles Chart at No. 86, while securing No.1 on the Official Singles Downloads Chart and No.2 on the Singles Sales Chart, proving its incredible digital sales power.

The music video for Winter Ahead also became a hot topic! V transformed into a sculptor, delivering a deep and emotional performance with his expressive acting, pulling fans into the song’s atmosphere.

Despite being 6 minutes and 22 seconds long, the video went viral, ranking No.1 on the "Music Video Trending Worldwide" chart.

On TIDAL, a global high-quality streaming platform, Winter Ahead made history as the longest-running K-pop song at No.1 on the Global Top Video chart.

It also topped Top Video charts in several countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Spain, Australia, and Singapore.

Even Billboard couldn’t resist the charm of Winter Ahead! The song was featured in "The 27 Best Winter Songs for the Season," with Billboard praising it as "evoking the feeling of the first day of winter, with harmonies as fresh as a snowflake."

They also noted that "its impact will last far beyond December 25."

Additionally, Winter Ahead was voted No.1 on Billboard’s ‘2024 Fan-Favorite Songs’ list, proving that fans can’t get enough of V’s music.

With this, V has now charted three songs on Billboard’s Holiday Hot 100, following Christmas Tree (2021) and his cover of White Christmas. He is officially the only K-pop artist to achieve this!

Even more impressively, he holds the record as the only K-pop artist to have three songs reach No.1 on Billboard’s Holiday Digital Song Sales chart, solidifying his dominance in the holiday music scene.

With Winter Ahead continuing to shine worldwide, V once again proves why he’s the ultimate ‘Winter King’ of K-pop.

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