BTS's Jin has proven once again that he's a global superstar by taking the top spot in Mubeat's January Artist of the Month fan voting, making it his third win overall!

According to the Mubeat Fanbase Research Institute, every month, the platform releases the "Mubeat Artist Report," which analyzes K-pop artists' activities in four categories: music releases, albums, videos, and fan voting. The scores are based on data from Circle Chart (for music and albums), YouTube (for videos), and Mubeat (for fan voting and videos).

In January, Jin’s fans rallied together to give him 219,020 votes, securing 1st place in the "Fan Voting" category. He topped the Mubeat K-pop Fan Voting for two consecutive weeks, proving his massive fan support.

The fan voting data is collected weekly, and for January, Jin earned the most votes with his tracks "Running Wild" and "I’ll Be There."

He achieved 1st place in the 2nd week of January with 65,210 votes for "Running Wild," and followed it up with another win in the 3rd week with 103,957 votes for "I’ll Be There."

This gave him two weeks at #1, and with these wins, Jin claimed his third 1st place title overall in the Mubeat Artist Report, having previously topped the rankings in October and November 2024.

Breaking down his fan voting data by country, Jin's top support came from South Korea (19.7%), followed closely by Japan (19.2%) and Russia (12.3%). His impressive performance also landed him in the top 4 overall in the Mubeat Artist Report.

With four weeks at #1 in the Mubeat K-pop Fan Voting, Jin has earned a place in the Mubeat Hall of Fame, being the only artist to have their name appear twice in a row in both the 4th and 5th Mubeat K-pop Fan Voting Hall of Fame, cementing his status as a true global icon.

Jin's reign doesn’t stop there—his OST "Close to You" from the tvN drama Ask the Stars topped the charts in the 1st and 2nd week of February 2025, continuing his success as a solo artist.

His beautiful, clear vocals made the track an instant hit, earning an overwhelming response from fans worldwide.

Jin’s fans continue to show their love and support, and it's clear he's one of the biggest stars in K-pop today.

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Director Bong Joon Ho couldn’t hold back his emotions while remembering the late Lee Sun Kyun.

On February 18, Bong Joon Ho appeared as a guest on MBC’s Son Suk Hee’s Questions and shared his thoughts on filmmaking, his reputation for being meticulous, and his deep regret over Lee Sun Kyun’s passing.

During the interview, Bong Joon Ho explained, "I never start a film thinking about social or political issues. If the storyboard isn’t finished by the morning of the shoot, I get really anxious."

He also talked about his admiration for actors, saying, "A director’s greatest luck is working with talented actors. I always stay alert while watching films, dramas, or plays, wondering if there are amazing actors quietly doing great work without getting noticed."

When asked about his ‘Bong-tail’ nickname—given to him for his extreme attention to detail—he responded, "Sometimes, I feel like it’s a label I want to escape from. Audiences analyze every little thing, looking for mistakes. While precision is important, I don’t think it alone determines a film’s value."

However, the most emotional moment came when the late Lee Sun Kyun was mentioned. Letting out a deep sigh, Bong Joon Ho said, "He was someone I worked with, and so many memories come flooding back. No matter what anyone says, he was a good person. He was a great actor." His heartfelt words left a strong impression.

Bong Joon Ho also addressed the statement he had released following Lee Sun Kyun’s passing. "As someone who worked with him, it was only right to speak up," he admitted.

However, he also expressed deep regret, saying, "I feel ashamed and sorry that I didn’t do it sooner. I kept asking myself why I didn’t act more quickly before such a tragic situation happened."

As he spoke, he became visibly emotional, shedding tears and leaving a heavy atmosphere in the studio.

Meanwhile, Bong Joon Ho’s highly anticipated film Mickey 17 is set to premiere first in South Korea on February 28.

The sci-fi thriller follows the story of an expendable worker, ‘Mickey,’ who is sent on dangerous missions and replaced with a new version when he dies. However, chaos unfolds when ‘Mickey 18’ is printed while ‘Mickey 17’ is still alive.

Source: [1]