BIGBANG’s G-Dragon (Kwon Ji Yong) has officially taken on a professor role at KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), but not everyone was on board with the idea at first!

On February 26, MBC’s Radio Star featured model and influencer Heo Sung Beom, who shared his firsthand experience meeting Professor G-Dragon.

Heo revealed that he attended G-Dragon’s appointment ceremony last year as a student representative. However, he admitted, “Some people at KAIST felt that G-Dragon didn’t really fit in here since he’s not from KAIST.”

But Heo had a different perspective. “When I actually met him, I saw that he was very interested in science and technology. He asked a lot of questions.” He added, “People think science is rigid, but it’s actually deeply connected to creativity. Research needs investment, promotion, and interest. G-Dragon is playing a big role in that.”

G-Dragon made headlines last year when he introduced himself as “Professor Kwon Ji Yong” at KAIST’s 2024 Innovate Korea talk show.

As a visiting professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, his role focuses on blending KAIST’s advanced technology with K-content and culture to strengthen Korea’s global influence.

His duties include:
Leadership lectures to inspire students with his global experience
Research collaborations that merge Hallyu (Korean Wave) with AI, robotics, and the metaverse
Development of artist avatars using cutting-edge tech like motion capture and haptics

At his appointment ceremony, G-Dragon admitted he was amazed by KAIST after a tour of the campus.“This isn’t a place you can just come to easily. Seeing the research and development firsthand made me realize how closely connected it is to my own work.”

He also talked about his vision for the music industry: "For the public, albums and music are new content. I want to offer different ways to experience music, to increase its collectible value. Watching, listening, and experiencing music should go beyond just the traditional ways.”

As for his future projects with KAIST, G-Dragon teased: “It’s still a secret, so I can’t reveal much yet. But seeing the technology at its early stages made me excited to think about how I could apply it in my field.”

G-Dragon’s professorship at KAIST will last two years, until June 2026. Fans are curious to see what groundbreaking projects he’ll work on next.

Source (1)

BTS’s Jimin is once again proving his global dominance, especially in Japan, where his solo music continues to break records!

Jimin's hit song "Who", from his second album MUSE, has just been awarded the prestigious Gold streaming certification from the Japan Record Association (RIAJ).

This honor comes after "Who" surpassed a remarkable 50 million streams in February, making it the first solo song by Jimin to receive this certification in Japan!

The Japan Record Association certifies music based on total streams, with Gold for 50 million streams, Platinum for 100 million, and Diamond for a massive 500 million.

This achievement adds another significant milestone to Jimin’s growing solo career.

Previously, Jimin also earned a Platinum certification for his first album FACE (for 250,000 units shipped) and a Gold certification for MUSE (for over 100,000 units shipped).

With the Gold streaming certification for "Who", Jimin now holds a total of three prestigious certifications from the Japan Record Association, solidifying his place as a solo artist.

Not only that, but "Who" made waves on the Billboard charts, staying on the Billboard Hot 100 for an impressive 33 weeks, setting a record for the longest-charting K-pop solo song! It also spent 32 weeks on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, showing just how much love fans have for his music.

Jimin’s solo success doesn’t stop there, as GOLDEN also spent 20 weeks on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart, and Jimin continues to dominate the Billboard Japan Artist 100, where he has now charted for 47 weeks! Clearly, Jimin’s popularity is unstoppable!

Source (1)