• BTS’s Jungkook’s 'GOLDEN' Breaks Records with 55 Weeks on Spotify’s Global Chart, Setting New Milestones as an Asian Solo Artist

    BTS’s Jungkook continues to break records with his solo album GOLDEN, proving his immense global popularity and impact.

    As of the latest chart update from Spotify for the week of November 15–21, Jungkook’s album GOLDEN, which was released in November of last year, secured the 41st spot on the Weekly Top Album Global chart.

    This marks the 55th consecutive week GOLDEN has remained on the chart, showcasing its long-lasting success and popularity worldwide. Jungkook has made history by becoming the first Asian solo artist to stay on the Weekly Top Album Global chart for 55 weeks in a row, setting a new record for the longest streak ever.

    But that's not all—Jungkook's solo single Seven also made its mark by ranking 88th on the Weekly Top Song Global chart for the week of November 15–21. This marks its 71st consecutive week on the chart, further proving the lasting appeal of his solo work.

    GOLDEN has achieved even more milestones on Spotify. It became the first album by an Asian solo artist to reach 4.6 billion streams (pre-filtered), making it the fastest album by any Asian artist to reach this huge number. Additionally, it is the first album by an Asian solo artist to have 10 tracks each surpassing 100 million streams, making Jungkook's GOLDEN a record-breaking success.

    Source (1)

  • Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin’s "When the Phone Rings" Apologizes for Offending Deaf Community with Sign Language Error

    Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin’s When the Phone Rings has issued an apology for the recent controversy surrounding the mockery of sign language.

    On November 29th, the drama’s production team released a statement on the viewer’s board addressing the issue. The statement began by saying, “We take the criticism about the improper handling of sign language very seriously, especially as it led to the mockery of the Deaf community and Korean sign language.”

    They went on to clarify, “The drama’s theme centers around ‘communication’ between people, and there was absolutely no intention to mock or belittle sign language, which is a vital communication tool for the Deaf community.”

    However, the production team admitted, “We humbly acknowledge that we did not give enough attention to the struggles of the Deaf community and the importance of Korean sign language. We will ensure that such mistakes do not happen again in the future.”

    The statement also highlighted the role of sign language in the drama, saying, “Sign language plays a crucial part in the relationship between the two main characters as they learn to communicate with each other. Through their journey, we want to show the true value of sign language as an important tool that connects people.”

    The production team concluded by asking for viewers' continued support, saying, “We hope you will keep watching the drama and point out any shortcomings you notice.”

    Earlier, in the first episode of When the Phone Rings, which aired on November 22nd, a mistake occurred when sign language interpreter Hong Hee Joo (played by Chae Soo Bin) mistakenly used the sign for "mountain" while trying to interpret "landslide" due to a broadcast error.

    This led to the sign being misunderstood as a finger gesture commonly seen as offensive, sparking backlash.

    After the episode aired, a viewer posted a complaint on the viewer’s board, asking for an apology for mocking sign language.

    The viewer explained that the sign for "mountain" is different from the offensive gesture and that using it in this context was hurtful to the Deaf community, as it has been used as a joke by hearing people.

    The post described this as an act of discrimination and mockery, calling for a more respectful approach.

    Source: [1]