NewJeans has proven just how popular they are in Japan, achieving incredible success in their first year since debuting there!

According to their agency ADOR on January 10th, NewJeans (Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, Hyein) ranked 2nd in Oricon's prestigious Annual New Artist Ranking for 2024. What’s even more impressive? This ranking is the highest ever achieved by any overseas artist in the list!

The New Artist Ranking takes into account various sales, including singles, albums, streaming, and music DVDs. Oricon revealed that NewJeans earned an impressive 2.09 billion yen in sales during the tracking period (from December 11, 2023, to December 8, 2024).

NewJeans made an unforgettable debut in Japan in June last year, and their debut single "Supernatural" quickly shot to the top of the Oricon chart. It was certified Gold Disc by the Japan Record Association for shipping over 100,000 copies. The album itself has sold over 1.3 million copies (as of the December Circle Chart). The title track “Supernatural” topped major Japanese music charts and even ranked high on both local and international charts, despite being a Japanese single.

But that’s not all! NewJeans made history by becoming the fastest overseas artist to perform at the Tokyo Dome, doing so in just 1 year and 11 months. Their Tokyo Dome fan meeting “Bunnies Camp 2024 Tokyo Dome,” held on June 26-27 last year, sold out completely, drawing 91,200 fans.

On top of these amazing achievements, NewJeans was awarded the Excellent Work Award at the 66th Shining! Japan Record Awards for their hit song "Supernatural." They also stole the spotlight at local year-end television events, becoming the first K-pop girl group to perform at Japan’s largest indoor festival, "Countdown Japan 24/25," on December 31.

Clearly, NewJeans is taking Japan by storm, and their success shows no signs of slowing down.

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Kim Jae Joong couldn’t hold back his tears as he experienced an emotional moment with his father.

On April 4, the KBS 2TV show "New Menu Launching: Pyeon Restaurant" aired a heartwarming episode where Kim Jae Joong, the youngest of nine siblings, threw a special celebration for his parents’ 60th wedding anniversary.

The star took charge of everything—planning, organizing, and hosting the event—as a grand gesture to show his gratitude for everything his parents had done for him and his siblings.

Kim Jae Joong rented a luxurious banquet hall at a five-star hotel for the celebration. He made sure to select food that would please all of his family, including his parents and siblings.

With his large family in attendance, the venue was filled with love and joy. Kim Jae Joong’s nine siblings all bowed deeply to thank their parents for raising them, showing immense respect and love.

As his father saw all of his children gathered in one place, he couldn’t help but express his pride, saying, “Are all these really my children?” But his emotions quickly took a turn as he shared his feelings of regret. “I feel sorry that I couldn’t do better for you, I’m sorry I couldn’t do as much as others did. But I’m so thankful that you all grew up so well,” he said, with tears starting to form in his eyes.

It was the first time Kim Jae Joong had seen his father cry. Overcome with emotion, he said, “I know my father’s life very well, so I couldn’t help but cry too.” The entire family shared in the tears, shouting, “We love you, Dad,” creating an unforgettable moment that moved everyone to tears.

The touching episode aired on April 4 at 8:30 PM, showing viewers the deep love and gratitude Kim Jae Joong and his siblings have for their parents.

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