• ILLIT's 'Magnetic' Maintains Ranking on U.S. Billboard Global Charts for 18 Weeks

    ILLIT (YoonA, MinJoo, Moka, WonHee, Iroha) is proving their musical prowess with an impressive run on major U.S. Billboard charts, despite being newcomers.

    As of Billboard's latest chart update (August 3), ILLIT's title track 'Magnetic' from their debut mini-album is holding steady at 31st on the Global (excluding the U.S.) chart and 54th on the Global 200 chart. This marks an impressive 18 consecutive weeks on both charts.

    'Magnetic' has rapidly elevated ILLIT, who debuted in March, to 'Global Rising Star' status. The track made history as the first K-pop debut song to chart on Billboard's Hot 100 (April 20) and the UK's Official Singles Top 100 (April 5).

    It also topped Spotify's mid-year K-pop overseas streaming chart.

    In addition to their global success, ILLIT has made waves in South Korea and Japan. 'Magnetic' topped the Circle Chart's mid-year global K-pop chart, and ILLIT was named the top rookie artist in Tower Records Japan's 2024 mid-year streaming rankings, further proving their international appeal.

    Billboard recognized these achievements by naming ILLIT 'K-pop Rookie of the Month' for June, commending them for setting unprecedented records with their debut song.

    The publication praised their addictive music, sweet vocals, engaging choreography, and the members' charismatic personalities as key factors in capturing the hearts of fans worldwide.

    Source (1)

  • Actress Surprises Fans with Pregnancy Announcement at Drama Press Conference, "They Changed My Character for Me"

    At a recent press conference for the new KBS Joy drama Sorry Not Sorry, actress Gong Min Jung made a surprising announcement that caught everyone off guard.

    On December 2, during the production event for the romantic comedy, Gong Min Jung revealed, "I am currently pregnant, and childbirth is just around the corner," leaving the audience in shock.

    The news was shared after host Oh Hyo Joo mentioned that Gong Min Jung had something special to announce.

    Gong Min Jung then took the microphone and surprised everyone, saying, "Just like my character, I am currently pregnant and expecting soon."

    She went on to explain, “After announcing my marriage, I found out I was pregnant, and it made choosing new projects a bit tricky. Originally, my character in Sorry Not Sorry wasn’t pregnant, but the production team kindly changed the role for me.”

    The actress shared her deep connection to her character, Choi Hana, saying, "I really empathized with her, and adding the pregnancy aspect made me feel like I could truly represent the experiences of a mother. That’s when I decided to join the project."

    She ended her announcement by thanking everyone for their support, saying, "Thanks to everyone’s consideration, I’m filming in a stable and enjoyable environment. Although this is a sudden announcement, I hope you’ll see it positively."

    Gong Min Jung plays alongside Jeon So Min, who stars as Ji Song Yi in Sorry Not Sorry. The drama follows Ji Song Yi, a single woman facing tough times after a breakup, dealing with a mortgage and balancing multiple jobs.

    The drama also stars Jang Hee Ryung, Choi Daniel, and Kim Moo Jin. Sorry Not Sorry premieres on December 5, airing every Thursday at 9 PM.

    Source: [1]