• EXO’s Baekhyun Sold Over 1 Million Albums But Couldn’t Attend Year-End Award Shows — Was He Blocked by SM Entertainment?

    EXO’s Baekhyun proved his unstoppable popularity by selling over 1 million copies of his latest solo album, but fans were left confused when he didn’t attend a single year-end award show.

    Now, speculation is growing—was Baekhyun another victim of SM Entertainment’s alleged power abuse?

    Baekhyun dropped his fourth solo mini-album, Hello, World, in April 2023, and within just five days, he achieved an impressive milestone—over 1 million copies sold.

    This made him a triple million-seller, proving once again that he’s one of the top solo artists in K-Pop.

    Naturally, fans expected Baekhyun to attend year-end music award shows to celebrate his achievements and put on stunning performances.

    After all, he had previously expressed his excitement, saying, "I must go to the year-end award shows!" and "Even if I don’t receive an award, I’ll still go. I want to put on a great performance."

    However, as the year came to an end, Baekhyun was nowhere to be seen at any of the major music award ceremonies—leaving fans both disappointed and suspicious.

    On March 7, an industry insider spoke out about the situation, revealing, "Baekhyun really wanted to attend the year-end award shows," but also added, "He couldn’t go to any of them."

    This statement has fueled concerns that Baekhyun may have been blocked from appearing, possibly due to SM Entertainment’s alleged influence over broadcast stations.

    This situation is even more questionable considering that Baekhyun’s fellow EXO member, Xiumin, also faced similar struggles.

    On March 4, while promoting his solo album, Xiumin revealed the shocking truth about his attempts to perform on music shows.

    He stated, "I tried multiple times to arrange meetings with broadcasting stations so that I could perform on music shows for my fans, but KBS did not even respond to our attempts to contact them."

    He went on to add, "Recently, KBS unofficially informed us that it would be impossible for me to appear on shows like KBS2’s Music Bank if SM Entertainment artists were also scheduled to perform."

    This revelation immediately sparked accusations of power abuse, as many believe SM Entertainment is deliberately restricting broadcast appearances for artists who have left the company.

    With Baekhyun and Xiumin both facing difficulties in appearing on music-related broadcasts, fans are demanding transparency and answers.

    Many believe that Baekhyun’s absence from award shows was not just a coincidence but a result of industry politics.

    As discussions continue, fans are calling for fairness, hoping that Baekhyun and other artists will no longer be affected by alleged power plays in the industry.

    What do you think about the situation? Let us know in the comments.

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  • Yook Sung Jae and Bona’s new drama ‘The Haunted Palace’ dominates Netflix charts and beats all SBS shows with double-digit ratings from the start

    SBS's new fantasy historical drama The Haunted Palace is already making waves both in South Korea and around the world.

    Starring Yook Sung Jae and Bona, the show exploded in popularity during its very first week — topping Netflix charts in multiple countries and hitting double-digit TV ratings straight out of the gate.

    On Korean television, The Haunted Palace shocked viewers with a strong start. Episode 1 pulled in a peak nationwide rating of 10.7%, instantly breaking the double-digit barrier.

    The Seoul area rating and the national average were both 9.2%, making it the highest-rated premiere of any SBS drama in 2025 so far.

    It also beat out other SBS dramas like Love Scout and Buried Hearts, and even took the #1 spot among all mini-series aired that week, showing that this drama isn’t just trending — it’s leading the pack. (According to Nielsen Korea)

    And the success didn’t stop on TV.

    As soon as The Haunted Palace dropped on Netflix, it jumped straight to #1 on “Today’s Top 10 TV Shows in South Korea”, proving its massive popularity on streaming platforms.

    Globally, it also ranked #1 in the TV series category in Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, showing that international fans are just as hooked.
    (According to FlixPatrol, April 21)

    The drama is also doing incredibly well on South Korea’s own streaming trend charts. On KinoLights — a platform that tracks trends across all streaming services — The Haunted Palace ranked #1 overall, beating both films and dramas. (As of April 19)

    Fans are loving the unique story, which mixes fantasy, comedy, and creepy mystery. The drama follows Yeori, a shaman who denies her fate, and Kang Cheol I, a mythical Imoogi spirit trapped inside her first love’s body. Together, they face off against a terrifying ghost called Palcheok Gui — who has a dark grudge against the royal family.

    Episode 2 added even more excitement, with Kang Cheol I hilariously struggling to live like a normal human after 1,000 years.

    At the same time, Yeori starts hearing the voice of Yoon Gap’s spirit and tries to save him. By the end of the episode, it’s revealed that Prince Wonja (played by Park Jae Joon) is going mad due to Palcheok Gui — and that the ghost has already consumed Yoon Gap’s soul. The showdown between Kang Cheol I, Yeori, and the evil spirit is just getting started.

    With high ratings and top OTT rankings, The Haunted Palace is quickly becoming one of the biggest drama hits of the year.

    Episode 3 of The Haunted Palace airs on Friday, April 25 at 9:50 PM KST on SBS.

    Source: [1]