BTS' V thanks fans for 1b Spotify streams
V of BTS expressed gratitude for surpassing 1 billion plays on Spotify.
He shared a picture of the plaque he received from the platform in recognition of the feat, achieved in December last year, along with the caption, 'Thank you so much for your support, Army,' marked with a purple heart.
The artist joined the Billions Club with solo single 'Love Me Again,' a prerelease from his first solo album, 'Layover,' and is the first K-pop B-side track to hit the mark.
The R&B tune certified gold in US in February logging half a million unit sales. It hit Billboard's Hot 100 at No. 96 and topped iTunes Top Songs Chart in 102 regions.
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Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Countdown to BTS: Inside Big Hit Music's high-stakes plan for group's full reunion
Anticipation builds for group's return — starting with solo fan concerts and a major fan festival 'You waited for me, now what do you want? Say it all,' replied BTS member V when a fan asked, 'Only nine days left before discharge — are you ready, Taehyung (V's name)?' during a Weverse chat on Sunday. Excitement is mounting among BTS fans, or Army, worldwide as all seven members will have completed their military service by the end of this month, marking the end of a nearly two-year hiatus and paving the way for a highly anticipated full-group comeback. RM and V will be discharged on June 10, followed by Jimin and Jungkook on June 11. Suga, currently serving as a social service worker in an alternative form of duty, is scheduled for release on June 21. This marks the conclusion of BTS' military enlistment period, which began in December 2022 with Jin. Jin and J-Hope, who completed their service last year, have already resumed solo activities. As the final discharge dates approach, speculation is swirling about when BTS will resume group activities. Industry insiders anticipate a full-group comeback as early as the end of this year or in the first half of 2026. Jin, J-Hope take lead with global solo concerts In the meantime, solo efforts by members have kept the group's presence strong, both musically and in fan engagement. Jin, the first to return, has announced his first solo fan concerts, '#Runseokjin_EP.Tour,' taking place June 28-29 at Goyang Sports Complex just outside Seoul. The concert is a spinoff of his solo variety series 'Run Seokjin' and symbolizes his direct outreach to global fans. Seokjin is Jin's Korean name. Following the Seoul concert, Jin will embark on a global tour, performing 18 shows across nine cities: Chiba and Osaka in Japan; Anaheim, Dallas, Tampa and Newark in the US; London in the UK; and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, J-Hope will conclude his global tour at the same venue it started with an encore concert, 'J-Hope Tour 'Hope on the Stage' Final' on June 13-14. 'We're preparing thoroughly so that J-Hope's signature explosive energy and immersive performance can be felt to the fullest,' Big Hit Music said. During the concert, J-Hope will debut a new digital single, 'Killin' It Girl (feat. GloRilla),' which caps off his solo single project. The label describes it as a hip-hop track that 'honestly expresses the excitement of falling in love in an instant.' The track and its music video will be released in Korea at 1 p.m., June 13. J-Hope began his world tour Feb. 28 at KSPO Dome in Seoul and went on to perform 31 shows in 15 cities including New York, Chicago, Mexico City, Manila, Saitama, Singapore, Jakarta, Bangkok, Macao, Taipei and Osaka — drawing some 470,000 fans. 'Fans, myself included, are eagerly waiting to see what new synergies emerge among the members. Of course, we're also excited to see them perform their old favorites,' said Grace Kao, a sociology professor at Yale University who also lectures on K-pop. 'Given how both J-Hope and Jin have showcased more mature versions of themselves, it's likely that BTS' new music will reflect that evolution. The members' individual identities will likely stand out even more in the group's next chapter,' she added. 'BTS Festa' returns bigger with fan-centered experiences In addition to Jin and J-Hope's solo events, the 2025 BTS Festa — an annual celebration of BTS' debut on June 13 — will take place at Kintex in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on June 13-14, shortly after all members, except Suga, are discharged. Fans are buzzing over the possibility of surprise appearances or special events involving the full group. This year's Festa, which opened June 1, features an expanded setup with more than 20 exhibition booths across two halls. Highlights include a giant 'Army Bomb (BTS official light stick)' light show and photo zone; 'Voice Zone' featuring members' voice messages; 'Trophy Zone' displaying the group's achievements; and 'BTS Locker,' an exhibit of the members' personal items. For fans unable to attend in person, BTS will also roll out diverse online content June 2-13, including 'Hoseokjin Photos,' 'Anchor Showdown,' 'Hoseokjin's 12:00' and '20130613 Congratulations,' offering global BTS fans a chance to participate in the festivities.
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Korea Herald
9 hours ago
- Korea Herald
[Grace Kao] Don't be fooled by celebrity romance scams
The Federal Trade Commission of the US reported that in 2023, consumers lost $1.14 billion to romance scams. This is a substantial increase from $547 million in losses in 2021, and $304 million in 2020. What exactly are romance scams and why are people susceptible to them? Scammers pose as someone who has fallen in love with the victim and is desperately trying to travel to the victim so they can meet. However, one tragedy after another ensues. The scammers work in teams and are grooming multiple victims simultaneously. The carefully designed scripts come in a variety of genres. An extremely interesting variant of this scam involves celebrities. Here, victims believe they are communicating with a celebrity and eventually develop a romantic relationship with them. There are a number of YouTube channels that address this topic. For example, the YouTube channel @catfishedOnline investigates romance scams. Their findings are shared with the victim and often their families, and with the audience. It's tempting to dismiss romance scam victims as gullible individuals who should have known better. However, the pervasiveness of romance scams suggests that criminals are addressing common issues of isolation and loneliness. Victims might be single or married in unsatisfying relationships. Their limited mobility or caregiving responsibilities at home might make it hard for them to meet others. Some may just be socially awkward and have had very few healthy romantic relationships. On this channel, there have been victims that believed that they were in clandestine relationships with Barry Gibb (one of the members of the group Bee Gees), Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, actor Johnny Depp and Jennifer Aniston, singer Chris Brown, and comedian Matt Rife. Recently, a fake Jackson Wang (GOT7) made an appearance. Images and information about celebrities are widely available on the internet. Let's say you're a fan of Cha Eun-woo. You can 'like' or 'comment' on one of his photos on social media. Someone named Cha Eun-woo might interact with you in the comments section or direct-message (DM) you. Suddenly, you are chatting with one of your favorite celebrities. This type of contact can happen to any of us who are on social media. I was once friended by an imposter Hyun Bin -- I don't even follow him on any social media nor did I ever comment on any of his content, but I do post information about the Korean Wave. If I was excited to see fake Hyun Bin on my social media, can you imagine what my response might be if 'Jungkook' DM'd me? Once, a fake version of K-pop singer 'Eric Nam' asked me if I was married and if so, was my marriage happy? Yikes. The scammers work to convince victims that they are special. They send them photos and videos of the celebrity with personalized information about the victim added. An image might show your celebrity boyfriend holding a note that says, 'I love you, Grace.' The imposter divulges special secrets about their newest movie or concert. They eventually ask for help because their manager won't let them access their funds. Perhaps they are going through an acrimonious divorce and their assets are frozen. Eventually, they will be in a nearby town for a concert or other activity, so if you want to meet them, you can sign up for a 'meet and greet' which not only costs $1,000 but they also need your name, birthday and social security number -- all the information one needs to open a credit card account. Since you will soon be their partner, why not help them out? In fact, a recent video featured a 70-something year old woman who believed she was engaged to 29-year old Comedian Matt Rife. Over the course of more than a year, she sent him over $100,000. Even after she was provided clear evidence that this was not the actual comedian, she continued to send money. Why did she do this? By sending money, she prolonged the fantasy. In 2024, a North Carolina woman believed she was in a relationship with actor Ahn Hyeo-seop and that they were in love. She was offered the opportunity to meet him, but his 'manager' asked for expenses to arrange a meet and greet, and various other fees. Eventually, she sent him $67,000, more than her life savings. While many victims in the media are women, evidence suggests that there are more male than female ones. According to a November 2022 Javelin survey of 5,000 households, men accounted for 73 percent of the victims of romance scams. In a National Geographic investigation of romance scammers in Nigeria, they confessed that they target men because men were likely to have more money and that they were easier to deceive. So, what's the solution? We should all be in closer contact with our loved ones, especially those who may feel isolated. Also, it's probably safer to talk to your AI boyfriend than your celebrity one, but don't send money to either of them! Grace Kao is an IBM professor of sociology and professor of ethnicity, race and migration at Yale University. The views expressed here are the writer's own. — Ed.
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
K-Musical Market opens with focus on global collaboration, financial sustainability
The fifth edition of the K-Musical Market kicked off Monday in Daehangno, Seoul's vibrant small theater district, launching a weeklong program aimed at strengthening Korea's position in the global musical theater ecosystem. Opening with a forum titled 'Evolving Factors Behind Box Office Success in the Global Musical Market,' the event brought together leading producers, licensing executives and cultural policymakers from Korea, the US, the UK, Japan and China to exchange insights on international trends and sustainable growth strategies. 'Korea has been a growing territory for at least 20 years and we look forward to more growth here. We look forward to learning more about unique Korean musicals that can find a wider audience in the rest of the world and we look forward to representing more,' said Sean Patrick Flahaven, chief theatricals executive of Concord Theatricals. He also emphasized the qualities that make musicals successful in licensing markets, with the example of 'Maybe Happy Ending,' a Tony-nominated musical adapted from the original Korean work. 'It's not so much dependent on being a Korean story as it is a more universal story. So I think that's an important aspect to have — that a compelling specific story can have universality as well — and that kind of universality speaks to success in future licensing.' Erica Lynn Schwartz, vice president of theatrical programming for ATG Entertainment, echoed the need for a broader vision by sharing her experience in producing "Moulin Rouge" at Colonial Theatre in Boston about 10 years ago. "The interest really was coming from the UK and Asia," she said, opening her eyes beyond Broadway. Both Flahaven and Schwartz acknowledged the financial challenges on Broadway, leading many producers to seek opportunities beyond Broadway. Referencing "Moulin Rouge" and "Suffs," she said, 'What I'm looking for is: What is the actual market to where we're going to be able to take these shows beyond Broadway … so it has to have a life on Broadway, but it also has to have a life beyond Broadway, or at least an audience where I know that there will be a sustainable financial model.' Presentations from Japan by ePlus and China by Star Space highlighted their unique musical markets. In his presentation, Daisuke Yokoyama, a senior executive from Japan's largest ticket platform ePlus, pointed out both structural differences and emerging synergies between the Japanese and Korean musical theater markets. He noted Japan's unique strength in producing "2.5-dimensional musicals" — shows adapted from anime, manga or games — which now make up about one-third of Japan's musical market and resonate especially with younger audiences. Meanwhile, original Korean musicals are gaining momentum in Japan, particularly in midsized venues of around 1,000 seats, aided by the global popularity of Korean content, including webtoons and streaming content. He proposed that Korean dynamism and Japanese delicacy in direction could lead to powerful co-productions, especially if paired with Broadway and West End business know-how. In a presentation on China's performing arts infrastructure, Jai Xuening, vice general manager of Shanghai Star Space Theater Management, introduced an ambitious, government-supported initiative that transforms commercial buildings and historic sites into clusters of small, modular theaters. Since its 2020 launch, flagship complexes like the Asia Mansion have housed up to 19 theaters under one roof, attracting over 70,000 ticketed audience members annually. Beyond presentations, the K-Musical Market includes musical pitching sessions, showcases, global meetings and over 300 business appointments, running through Friday. The K-Musical Market is presented by the Korea Arts Management Service and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
