by Ra Hwak Jin / Kim Sun Min
 

▲ This photo, provided by the Japan Record Awards, shows BTS taking a commemorative photo with a trophy at the Japan Record Awards. 2021.12.31 (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

◇ BTS’ vacation draws attention even during quarantine

Although BTS is on a long vacation and the three members, Suga, RM, and Jin, have tested positive for the coronavirus, the small movements of BTS have drawn huge attention.

Especially, the members have actively communicated with their fans through social media, such as Instagram, and each of their posts attracted people’s attention.

As the fans’ challenge for “Super Tuna," Jin’s solo song that he revealed through Youtube, has spread, he expressed his appreciation through the fan community Weverse, saying, “I’m happy that you really enjoyed the contents that I made, such as "Super Tuna," which I made just for fun.”
 

▲ This photo, screen captured from V's official Instagram account, shows V's post of the "Dynamite" performance scene from "Emily in Paris." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Moreover, BTS’ V uploaded the “Dynamite” scene, which is from Netflix’s latest popular series “Emily in Paris,” on his Instagram account and tagged the Netflix series with a caption of black and white hearts.

Suga has also drawn attention when he revealed his favorite team the Portland Trail Blazers and his favorite player Damian Lillard when asked about his current interests in an interview with Vogue Korea. “This is what I live for these days,” he replied. The NBA player showed his appreciation by mentioning, “I look forward to meeting you.”

Lastly, it was found that J-hope donated 100 million won (US$84,000) for children suffering economic hardships amid the protracted COVID-19 pandemic, according to a charity group on Friday. In addition, the mural street dedicated to V, thanks to V’s Chinese fan club “Baidu V Bar,” was designed in Daeseong Elementary School, where BTS’ member V graduated in Daegu, on Dec. 29.

 

▲ This photo, provided by EDAM Entertainment, shows the singer IU. (photo not for sale) (Yonhap)

 

◇ IU drops new album “Pieces” on Wed…sweeps music chart

IU dropped a new mini album “Pieces,” on Wednesday at 6 p.m. (KST).

The album “Pieces,” just like its title, is the completed version of pieces IU thought about throughout her 20s and was written and composed by the singer herself.

The title song “Winter Sleep,” is about the cycle of life and death, which may seem like a heavy topic for someone in their 20s. The singer tells the story of her first year after losing a loved family, friend, and companion animal.

"Drama" is to comfort a friend who went through heartbreak. “Next Stop” was made after playing the role in the drama "My Mister," and the song "You" was composed when she missed her friend.

EDAM Entertainment, her agency, pre-released a live clip of IU performing "Next Stop," through its YouTube channel on the day before the release

All the five songs of "Pieces“ swept the music charts in Korea.

“Winter Sleep” ranked No. 1 on the music charts. “Drama” ranked 6th, “Next Stop” was at 8th, “You” was at 11th, and “Love Letter” was at 12th, according to the music streaming site Melon, on Dec. 30 at 11 a.m. (KST).
 

 

▲ This photo, a captured image from "2021 MBC Drama Awards," shows Namkoong min. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

◇ Grand prize winners of dramas in 2021… Namkoong min, Kim So-yeon, and Ji Hyun-woo

The grand prize of the 2021 MBC〮KBS〮SBS Drama Awards, which wrap up the dramas of the year, each went to Namkoong min, Kim So-yeon, and Ji Hyun-woo.

Namkoong min, who played the role of Han Ji-hyeok, the ace of the National Intelligence Service, in "The Veil," has won the grand prize at “2021 MBC Drama Awards,” which was held on Dec. 30.

He broke down to tears when referring to fellow actors and the production staffs by saying, "I spent a lot of time filming one scene so I was disappointed that I needed a little more time," adding, "But thanks to all the staffs and actors who participated, I was able to wrap up the drama well.”
 

▲ This photo, provided by SBS, shows Kim So-yeon. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Kim So-yeon, who led all 3 seasons of the hit drama “The Penthouse,” also showed tears when winning the grand prize at the “2021 SBS Drama Awards,” which was held from the night of Dec. 31, 2021 to over 1 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2022.

The actress said, "I started as an extra 28 years ago," adding, "That first work was a SBS drama, and I can't believe that SBS gave me such a big award today."

The grand prize of the “2021 KBS Drama Awards” went to Ji Hyun-woo, who played the role of the gentleman Lee Young-guk from “Young Lady and Gentleman,” which is the weekend drama with rating of 35%.

Ji Hyun-woo went up to the stage and mentioned, "Thank you for giving me such a big award," adding, "I think this award is not just for me, but a award that represents the whole team of “Young Lady and Gentleman."

 

▲ This photo, provided by Sony Pictures, shows the movie "Spider Man: No Way Home." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

◇ 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' becomes first pandemic-era movie to top 5 mln admissions in S. Korea

"Spider-Man: No Way Home" has become the first movie to surpass 5 million in admissions since the COVID-19 pandemic began in South Korea in January, 2020.

The latest Marvel superhero film hit the landmark at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, the 14th day of its release, according to Sony Pictures.

In 2019, five movies -- "Extreme Job," "Avengers: Endgame," "Frozen 2," "Aladdin," and "Parasite" -- surpassed the 10 million mark, a standard for a box-office success for commercial films in South Korea.

But last year, the Korean historical drama "The Man Standing Next," which was released right before the COVID-19 outbreak and sold 4.75 million tickets, topped the yearly box-office chart.

In 2021, the 3.61 million audience, recorded by Korean film "Escape from Mogadishu," was the highest before “Spider Man: No Way Home” was released.

The box office income of “Spider Man: No Way Home” exceeded $1 billion for the first time in the world since the Pandemic.

(END)

 

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