Girl group ILLIT continues to shine as leaders in the 5th generation of K-pop, maintaining a strong presence on major Billboard charts.

According to the latest Billboard charts released on July 20th (Korea time), ILLIT (Yuna, Minju, Moka, Wonhee, Loha) secured the 20th spot on the 'Global (excluding US)' chart and the 35th position on the 'Global 200' with their mini 1st album title track 'Magnetic'.

'Magnetic' has impressively maintained popularity for 16 consecutive weeks since its debut on these charts on April 6th. The song even climbed one spot on the 'Global (excluding US)' chart compared to the previous week, demonstrating sustained popularity without extensive overseas promotions.

ILLIT made a significant impact globally since their March debut. 'Magnetic' debuted on the prestigious Billboard Hot 100 just 21 days after its release, marking a historic achievement for a debut song by a K-pop group (April 20th chart). Their mini album 'SUPER REAL ME', featuring 'Magnetic', also entered the Billboard 200 at 93rd place (May 11th chart), making ILLIT the first group to achieve this with both their debut song and album.

In Japan, 'Magnetic' set records by reaching 100 million streams at the fastest rate among female artists on the Oricon weekly streaming ranking. They also topped Tower Records' '2024 First Half Streaming Ranking' in the rookie artist category.

Back home, ILLIT's 'Magnetic' topped Circle Chart's global K-pop category for the first half of the year and achieved top 10 rankings in digital and streaming categories.

Next, ILLIT is set to meet fans from Greater China for the first time since their debut at the '2024 TMEA 5th Tencent Music Entertainment Awards' held at Galaxy Arena in Macau on the 19th.

Source(1)

Actor Chun Jung Myung has opened up about a devastating betrayal by his former manager, who swindled tens of billions of won from his family. The former manager, who had been trusted like family, is now serving prison time for his actions.

In the December 8 episode of SBS’s My Little Old Boy, Chun Jung Myung shared the shocking details of his financial fraud ordeal with fellow cast members Lee Sang Min and Kim Heechul.

He explained, "I was financially defrauded by the manager I had worked with for 16 years since my debut. He forged documents to steal money and even caused huge financial losses for my parents."

A close source confirmed on December 9, "The manager mentioned on the show ultimately couldn’t repay the damages and is now serving his prison sentence for fraud."

The source also revealed that Chun Jung Myung suffered losses in the tens of billions of won. The emotional toll was severe, leading to social anxiety, and he even considered retiring from the entertainment industry due to the devastating betrayal.

Chun Jung Myung debuted in 1999 with the drama School 2 and became a household name with roles in Beijing, My Love, Fashion 70s, and What's Up Fox? However, after his role in the 2019 drama Urban Cops: KCSI, he suddenly disappeared from the spotlight, sparking concerns from fans.

An entertainment agency CEO weighed in, saying, "Celebrities, especially those with limited real-world experience, are vulnerable to scams because of their public status. Some get trapped and lose vast amounts of money after being used as figureheads."

An entertainment law expert added, "Fraud cases are tricky because proving the intent to steal is difficult. If someone makes an enticing offer, always ask, ‘Why me and not them?’ Skepticism is key."

Source: [1]