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  • Director Ryoo Seung-wan on the on-set approach of Park Jeong-min and Zo In-sung in Humint
    Director Ryoo Seung-wan on the on-set approach of Park Jeong-min and Zo In-sung in 'Humint' A single scene can hold countless perspectives. Even in the same place and time, a director and actors may experience the moment differently. <Choi Song-hee’s B-Cut> looks past the polished “A-cut” on screen to the behind-the-scenes record that still carries the set’s temperature. By cross-editing interviews with the people who made the work, it reconstructs the “B-cut” moments that were often more intense than the finished frame. <Editor’s note> Vladivostok, where secrets and truths sink into an icy sea, is the setting for the film “Humint.” Against that harsh backdrop, director Ryoo Seung-wan captures characters colliding at close range. Alongside Ryoo’s trademark action and tension, the film’s pull is also the actors’ screen presence. Off camera, however, the mood was lighter, with confessions like “I worried it would feel cringey” and sheepish explanations such as “I just walked.” Park Jeong-min plays Park Geon, a section chief in North Korea’s Ministry of State Security, portrayed as a man of cold judgment and quick movement. Park said he trained by going back and forth between the gym and running routes to narrow the distance between himself and the character. “When the director gave me the script, he said Park Geon is a masculine character with a lot of action, so I needed to prepare,” Park said. “I trained at the gym. I thought he should be someone with a clear purpose, a wild kind of person. Usually, once filming gets going, you start to get self-absorbed — you think no one else can play the role, so you fuse the character with yourself. But with ‘Humint,’ I was scared. Until I saw the finished film, I worried the distance between Park Geon and Park Jeong-min was so big it would make me cringe. Thankfully, after watching it, it didn’t feel that way. I was relieved it wasn’t awkward.” Park said the references Ryoo provided while shaping Park Geon’s sharp image sometimes added welcome pressure. “There were so many films,” Park said. “Director Ryoo would put movies on a USB drive or lend me DVDs. There was ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ and Hong Kong films, too. Watching them actually made me more confused. I’m not Chow Yun-fat. Ha.” As Park worked to project a tougher look, crew members also focused on presenting what he called “the coolest Park Geon.” Park said the lighting director studied his face from every angle, down to the height of a single strand of hair, to find the most effective visual design. “Before we started shooting, the lighting director told me to come to the production company office,” Park said. “They filmed my face 360 degrees and tried countless designs — hair up, hair down — to find a masculine look that fit me. The lighting director was under pressure, too. Ha. I had to look good.” Park said he also kept up daily routines to maintain his appearance on camera. “I mostly ran,” he said. “These days people call it ‘trimming the margins.’ Ha. Even after losing weight, I ran every morning to reduce puffiness before filming. It made a big difference.” Ryoo said Park’s preparation stood out to the entire set. “Jeong-min came in after losing a huge amount of weight,” Ryoo said. “I was surprised, and the staff were, too. He looked like a different person. As always, Park Jeong-min is known for thorough preparation and for immersing himself in his role. There are many actors with sculpted faces, but I think the actors we’re drawn to are the ones whose attitude shows on screen. Sometimes you can feel a person’s mind even in a shot of their back. In the end, what’s captured is the actor’s condition. A director can’t manufacture an actor’s charm. You can find an optimal angle and set the lights, but you can’t sustain it for two hours with that alone.” If Park reshaped himself with careful discipline, Zo In-sung, who plays a National Intelligence Service agent known as Manager Jo, began from a different place. Ryoo said he wrote the role with Zo in mind from the start, and described a strong overlap between the character and the actor. “The character’s name is ‘Manager Jo’ because I was thinking of Zo In-sung when I wrote the script,” Ryoo said. “Viewers will be curious about him, but you can think of Manager Jo as Zo In-sung. Ha. He lives alone, he only works, and when his own work (acting) doesn’t go well, he suffers. The sync rate is very high.” A walking scene that some viewers have described as a “runway” moment also drew differing, playful takes from actor and director. “I just walked,” Zo said. “They told me to walk in, so I walked in. Ha. There wasn’t any special direction. I thought it was important to carry over the emotion from the previous scene. I didn’t intend to walk in a cool way.” Ryoo said the scene was not designed to look like a runway, but that it stayed with audiences. “We didn’t deliberately make it like runway walking,” he said. “Zo In-sung is harder to shoot in short takes. There are long walking scenes early on for Park Geon, too — he walks a long way, even to a North Korean restaurant. But no matter how long Park Geon’s scene is, what stays with viewers is Manager Jo’s walk. Ha. I wanted to tell the story of someone who ultimately has to walk alone, someone who ends up alone at some point. In-sung actually stripped away model-like walking and kept it plain. He’s someone from a different world.” Ryoo’s view that an actor’s appeal is not created by a director but captured in the performer’s on-set “condition” runs through “Humint.” The film, he said, was filled by the actors’ hard-won self-proof — Park and Zo aiming for a strong image without losing humility, and bringing energy that contrasted with Vladivostok’s cold landscape.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-03 16:33:30
  • BTS’ Jung Kook’s ‘Please Don’t Change’ Tops Worldwide iTunes Song Chart
    BTS’ Jung Kook’s ‘Please Don’t Change’ Tops Worldwide iTunes Song Chart BTS member Jung Kook’s solo track “Please Don’t Change” is gaining traction on global music charts. The song, from his solo album “GOLDEN,” ranked No. 1 on the Worldwide iTunes Song Chart dated Feb. 28. Released in November 2023, the track has climbed back up the charts about two years later, holding the top spot for three straight days through Feb. 27 and 28. On the European iTunes Song Chart, it was No. 1 on Feb. 26 and 27 and slipped to No. 2 on Feb. 28. On Spotify, the song has surpassed 219 million streams. Jung Kook’s cumulative streams stand at 6.79 billion, nearing 6.8 billion.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-03 08:33:16
  • Director Ryoo Seung-wan Says ‘Humint’ Marks a Turning Point in His Filmmaking
    Director Ryoo Seung-wan Says ‘Humint’ Marks a Turning Point in His Filmmaking 'Veteran' and 'Smugglers' helped director Ryoo Seung-wan prove he could deliver both mass appeal and genre thrills. With his new film, 'Humint,' he returns with a quieter approach, trading punchy energy for a closer look at emotions and fractured relationships set against Vladivostok. Working within action-movie conventions, he pares back technique to move closer to his characters’ inner lives. The film opened Feb. 11 and has drawn a cumulative 1.82 million viewers, according to the Korean Film Council’s integrated box office system as of March 1. Ryoo first expressed gratitude for the renewed energy in theaters over the Lunar New Year holiday period and for fellow directors’ strong showings. "What I’m feeling is that theaters have come alive again after a long time. Compared with last year’s Lunar New Year holiday, it feels completely different. I’m grateful for that," he said. "I’m really happy director Jang Hang-jun is doing well. The cinematographer for 'The Man Who Lives With the King' is someone I’ve worked with my whole life, and I’m close with Yoo Hae-jin, too. Anyway, it feels good that two films with different sensibilities are out and audiences are coming to theaters. We’re also continuing stage greetings and meeting audiences." Ryoo said the project began with anger he felt after encountering a real-life tragedy while reporting in the past. "The basic incidents I gathered while preparing 'The Berlin File' — things that happened on the Chinese border and what I learned while covering a North Korean mission — became the foundation," he said. "The human trafficking case set in Vladivostok in the film is something that actually happened. What I heard was a crime so severe it’s hard to describe. When you ask why I chose this material, if I look back purely, I was furious after hearing it. You hear a lot about smuggling cigarettes, but buying and selling people … that’s something that must not exist. That anger was the starting point." Because the subject is tragic, he said he repeatedly weighed how to keep the camera from exploiting its victims. "The moment I chose this material, there was no longer any question of comfort or discomfort. It’s something that makes you angry, so it’s inevitably uncomfortable," he said. "The filmmaker’s task is that our gaze must not exploit the subject. Setting the distance between the camera and the subject required real care. The priority was not to emphasize it or treat it as something to gawk at. Even in postproduction, if the women stood out in the later images of the factory basement, I blocked all of that. I didn’t want the audience’s gaze to drift there and create an exploitative look inside the screen. We struggled with how to handle the material. On set, it was difficult and delicate." To capture the mood of the setting, he said he stripped away noise and focused on the landscape his characters move through. "Rather than emphasizing action spectacle, I wanted to preserve the characters’ emotional lines," he said. "So we removed the loud background extras walking around in the streets. I wanted the focus only on the characters. For every scene of someone walking, we searched the city thoroughly — the buildings, the streets — and checked everything in detail. We built a set for the North Korean restaurant, but everything else was shot in Vladivostok. There was only one method: the staff’s legwork." Ryoo pointed to what he called the film’s central image: a person who is ultimately alone even within relationships. "The title is 'Humint,'" he said. "The people placed inside this world. In the opening and ending, you see someone waking up and falling asleep somewhere that isn’t their home — that’s the image. They form tight relationships, and yet they’re ultimately alone within them. The keyword is 'parting,' a 'person who leaves.' That was important to me. This is an action film, but when it reaches action, the emotion isn’t the pleasure of beating a bad guy like I’ve handled before. It’s action that explodes after being compressed within a calm emotional line. So the approach was less about action itself and more about refining the characters." He said he aimed for traditional suspense that makes a theater go quiet, balancing familiarity and novelty. "When more than 100 people watch a film in a theater, I wanted suspense that makes them hold their breath," he said. "You can feel that silence when people are focused. I’ve used humor a lot, but I thought: Let’s go for real, traditional suspense in a theater. I wanted the appeal of seeing actors on a big screen again. Action matters, but I wanted something that lingers. Because this isn’t made from scientific data, if it feels too familiar people get bored, and if it’s too new they reject it. How do you create harmony between the familiar and the new? I thought it might feel new to build emotional density step by step, then pull the climax forward and drive hard in the final stretch." Ryoo also cited the film’s mirrored opening and ending, saying it was possible because of actor Zo In-sung. He said it was his most explicit use of that structure and that he wanted the afterimage left with viewers to be the character himself. "This is the first time I’ve placed such an obvious mirrored structure in a film, and it was possible because of Jo, because of Zo In-sung," he said. "In a way, I think this story may be in the form of Jo’s recollection. After watching, people may remember many things, but I hoped the afterimage would be purely a 'person.'" In shaping what he called realistic, self-directed female characters, he said feedback from his family and his own approach as a director played a major role. "When I handle female characters, I have very strong censors: my wife and daughter," he said, laughing. "In real life, we don’t find someone appealing if they only lean on others. We’re attracted to independence. Chae Seon-hwa is already the person who causes the incident in 'Humint' and drives it to its outcome. If you treat her as a character consumed by an action film, you lose the engine itself. There were different ways to portray rescuing female colleagues, but I thought it had to be Seon-hwa who does it. Even the character who gets shot and collapses should be saved and protected by their own group. I’m attracted to that kind of person. I think that’s cool." Ryoo said he accepted audience criticism with humility and treated it as a chance to learn. "One of the most shocking things I heard was that in reality, people were placed together in glass cases like merchandise," he said. "Their condition, too. We couldn’t portray it close to reality, so after a lot of 고민, we created our own setting to condemn the act. When you shoot action, you also think about what makes an interesting setup. But with the audience’s points of dislike, I realized, 'I didn’t think that far.' I considered it something worth taking to heart. I’m grateful to receive it and I think I need to keep checking those things as I make films. Even for me, the starting point wasn’t, 'Let’s squeeze it all out.' I should have looked more carefully and in more detail, but I fell short. I’m learning a lot from the feedback." Looking back on two decades in film, Ryoo said 'Humint' left him feeling unburdened — and could mark a turning point toward something different next. "After finishing the film, releasing it, and reaching this moment, I feel lighter and I have no regrets. It feels like, 'I’ve done everything I wanted to do,'" he said, laughing. "I even think, 'If I died tomorrow, it would be a good death.' Of course, I still have homework. With reactions I didn’t anticipate, I think, 'Ah, I need to think more about this.' What I’m grateful for with this film is that it may become a turning point for me. Over 20 years, I tried everything I liked and wanted to do, and I’m thinking the next film could be very different."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-03 00:03:22
  • Kang Chan-hee Joins Comedy Film Method Acting, Set for March Release
    Kang Chan-hee Joins Comedy Film 'Method Acting,' Set for March Release Actor Kang Chan-hee has joined the film ‘Method Acting,’ which is set to open in March. The comedy centers on Lee Dong-hwi, a performer known for being funny who no longer wants to do comedy. Seeking recognition for sincere acting, he becomes overly immersed in a role, setting off a chain of events. Kang plays Jung Tae-min, a top star who sweeps three awards at a year-end ceremony. Jung publicly asks Lee — a senior actor he worked with as a rookie — to co-star in his next project. But Jung is also portrayed as harboring resentment over past treatment by Lee. Kang is expected to depict the character’s dual nature, smiling professionally for the camera while engaging in a tense standoff offscreen. Kang has appeared across film and television, including the dramas ‘Under the Queen’s Umbrella,’ ‘Imitation’ and ‘SKY Castle,’ and the films ‘White Day: A Labyrinth Named School’ and ‘SSUL.’ Last year, he appeared in the TVING original series ‘The Scandal of Chunhwa’ and the film ‘Ghosts,’ which the report said showed a broader acting range. ‘Method Acting’ is scheduled to hit theaters March 18.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-02 17:15:17
  • Park Jeong-min on playing a North Korean security officer in Humint: I’m glad it didn’t feel awkward
    Park Jeong-min on playing a North Korean security officer in 'Humint': 'I’m glad it didn’t feel awkward' Actor Park Jeong-min has transformed again. After swinging between cowardice and cruelty as “Jang Dori” in “Smugglers,” he returns in the new film “Humint” as Park Geon, a cold North Korean Ministry of State Security unit leader. “After reading the script, I thought the story could be overturned depending on Park Geon’s emotional state,” Park said. “I suddenly wondered, ‘Why did director Ryoo Seung-wan give me such a great role?’” “Humint” is set in Vladivostok, where secrets and truth sink into an icy sea, and people with different aims collide. It is Park’s second project with Ryoo after “Smugglers.” “Actually, it was during the ‘Smugglers’ stage greetings,” Park said. “He asked what I thought about action films, and I said I liked them. He said he was going to make a film called ‘Humint’ and asked if I was interested, and of course I said yes. That was basically it beforehand.” To build Park Geon’s rough-edged presence, Park started with physical changes, including training at a gym. But as he immersed himself, he said he grew anxious about the distance between himself and the character. “He told me it was a masculine role with a lot of action, so I needed to prepare, and I was building my body,” Park said. “The director said he wanted Park Geon to look cool, and I did, too. Usually once filming gets going, you get a little intoxicated — you start to fuse yourself with the character. “But with ‘Humint,’ I was scared. Until I saw the finished film, I worried the gap between Park Geon and Park Jeong-min was so big it would make me cringe. Thankfully, after watching it, it didn’t feel that familiar in a bad way. I was grateful it didn’t look awkward.” Park said his trust in Ryoo and the production company Oeyunaegang brought him back to another demanding set. “If director Ryoo calls, I’m ready to run anytime,” he said. “When I was in my 20s and was nobody, he gave me important roles and trusted me. It’s hard not to feel more drawn to someone like that. And I’ve never been disappointed by the results of projects I’ve done with Oeyunaegang.” Park Geon, he said, communicates less through words than through silence and controlled emotion. Park focused on the loneliness of a man who begins to waver between belief and personal feeling. “Park Geon feels like someone who has never had inner conflict and is starting to have it for the first time,” he said. “I thought about what it feels like when someone who has never once questioned his convictions begins to struggle between belief and personal emotion. In the end, he’s a character who makes choices and meets tragedy.” Park said he watched many reference films Ryoo shared on USB drives or DVDs, including “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and Hong Kong movies. “Watching them actually made me more confused,” he said. “Because I’m not Chow Yun-fat. Ha.” The intense action work sometimes pushed him to his limits, he said, especially during a fight scene in a cramped, harsh location. “It was an action scene where I fought a Russian boss two-on-one,” Park said. “The action itself wasn’t the hard part, but the environment that boxed us in was terrible. It wasn’t even my first time in that space. It was where I filmed a bar scene with senior actor Jo Woo-jin for the film ‘Harbin,’ but I still don’t know why I fell apart. “For about two hours, I couldn’t understand what people were saying and I was doing strange things. It was the moment I was most disappointed in myself recently. I just couldn’t pull myself together. A lot of people, including the director, were watching, and I struggled with an easy scene. I remember going back to the lodging alone without even greeting anyone.” He said colleagues noticed and helped him recover, and that Ryoo’s attention mattered. “If someone just recognizes, ‘He’s collapsed,’ it can become the trigger to stand back up,” Park said. “If it turns into a lonely fight by yourself, you keep falling. This time, director Ryoo sensed, ‘He’s not like himself,’ and quickly grabbed me and pulled me up. “You don’t always have someone like that beside you. Filming isn’t always smooth. There are always rough patches. Sometimes you get through them alone, sometimes colleagues or the director help, but it feels like it only works if someone notices what state you’re in.” Park said Park Geon’s relationship with Chae Seon-hwa was built less on explicit dialogue than on shared backstory the actors kept off-camera. “There were actions in the film that we gave a backstory to, just between us,” he said. “For example, resting her head on his lap or stroking her hair — those are things they did when they were in love in the past, and also things shown at the last moment. The audience doesn’t have to catch it, but sharing that backstory helps the acting. “It’s the same when Park Geon listens to Chae Seon-hwa’s recorded voice on a phone. The way Park Geon speaks in that recording is different from his voice in Vladivostok. In the pure time when he loved her, he probably wasn’t as violent as he is now. As he changed, the person he loved left. After a breakup, you miss them, but the time you shared can also hurt. “I thought those memories would have rushed back to him along with Chae Seon-hwa. They didn’t break up because they hated each other, so he would have wanted to hold on to something again, but he fails, and those choices pile up into the events of the story.” Park said he avoided physical affection without a clear reason, choosing instead to convey feeling through gaze and restraint. “Skinship without a reason would have made Park Geon’s situation harder,” he said. “It wouldn’t have felt like him. I did think about it — when they met in the back alley behind ‘Arirang,’ I wondered if he should at least hold her hand once. But actions without purpose feel awkward. “There’s a completely different mood between thinking, ‘I really want to hold her hand,’ and thinking, ‘Would it look more heartbreaking if I hold her hand?’ In rehearsal, I tried to move closer, it got awkward, and I gave up. I decided Park Geon should just stand there to feel more like Park Geon.” For Park, “Humint” combined the appeal of a classic spy film with emotionally driven action. He said it was his first time playing a character propelled by longing for someone. “Director Ryoo said he wanted to make a more classic-style spy action film, and I think it was realized well,” Park said. “The cinematography and lighting directors worked very hard, too. From early monitoring, I told him I’d never seen this kind of film among his movies. “I think it was an interesting attempt because emotional action is woven into it. Personally, I think it’s the first time I’ve played a character whose goal is the woman he loves. I don’t know about being satisfied, but I hope people will watch it kindly. It doesn’t look extremely strange to me, so I’m telling myself, ‘That’s enough.’ Ha.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-02 15:57:24
  • Jang Hang-jun’s ‘The Man Who Lives With the King’ Tops 9 Million Tickets, Nears 10 Million
    Jang Hang-jun’s ‘The Man Who Lives With the King’ Tops 9 Million Tickets, Nears 10 Million The film ‘The Man Who Lives With the King’ has drawn 9 million moviegoers. Showbox said Monday that the film surpassed 9 million in cumulative admissions on its 27th day in theaters. That pace is faster than the historical drama ‘The King and the Clown,’ the first period film to reach 10 million admissions (50 days), and ‘Masquerade’ (31 days). According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated ticketing network, the film drew 817,205 viewers on March 1, its biggest single-day total since release. It topped its previous high set on Lunar New Year’s Day on the 17th, when it drew 661,442. Set in 1457 at Cheongnyeongpo, the film follows a village chief who volunteers to live in exile to revive his community and a young deposed king sent into exile. It was directed by Jang Hang-jun and stars Yoo Hae-jin, Park Ji-hoon, Yoo Ji-tae and Jeon Mi-do.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-02 14:21:15
  • World AI Film Festival to Debut in Seoul as Asia’s First WAIFF Event
    World AI Film Festival to Debut in Seoul as Asia’s First WAIFF Event The World AI Film Festival (WAIFF), which highlights the convergence of artificial intelligence and film, will open in Seoul this month for its first event in Asia. Aju Media Group is participating as a media partner for WAIFF Seoul 2026, which is part of a global expansion linked to the festival’s main event in France. An opening ceremony and awards presentation will be held March 6 at Lotte Concert Hall, where winners in nine categories will be announced. The program will also include a special performance by singer Insooni and the Seocho Symphony Orchestra led by conductor Bae Jong-hoon, organizers said. On March 7, Lotte Cinema World Tower will host the Creative Intelligence Forum with global speakers. The forum will discuss production innovation using generative AI and future strategies for K-content, with additional events including special screenings of award-winning works and talks with directors (GV). The festival said Son Seung-hyun, CEO of Westworld, will serve as jury chair, with Nelson Shin, Nam Na-young and Jang Hang-jun among the jurors. Marking the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between France and South Korea, the festival said actor Gong Li will serve as honorary chair. ■ WAIFF Seoul 2026 at a glance ● Dates: March 6, 2026 (Fri) to March 7, 2026 (Sat) ● Venues: Lotte Concert Hall (March 6), Lotte Cinema World Tower (March 7) ● Host/Organizer: WAIFF Organizing Committee; KBS N (host broadcaster) ● Media partner: Aju Media Group ● Contact: WAIFF Seoul 2026 secretariat 2026-03-02 14:12:16
  • Jungkook’s ‘Seven’ Reenters Billboard Global 200, Extends Record 133 Weeks
    Jungkook’s ‘Seven’ Reenters Billboard Global 200, Extends Record 133 Weeks BTS member Jungkook’s solo single “Seven” has returned to the U.S. Billboard charts, extending its run and adding to a series of long-term records. According to Billboard’s latest charts dated Feb. 28, “Seven,” Jungkook’s first solo single, reentered the Global 200 at No. 192. The song has now spent 133 weeks on the chart, the first and longest run for any Asian act, including both groups and solo artists. “Seven” also ranked No. 103 on the Global (Excl. U.S.) chart, marking 136 consecutive weeks on that list and setting a record for an Asian solo artist. On Billboard Korea’s charts, “Seven” placed No. 70 on the Korea Hot 100 and No. 8 on Global K-Songs. Jungkook also placed two additional solo tracks on the Global K-Songs chart at the same time: “Standing Next to You” at No. 43 and “3D” at No. 62. Billboard previously reported that Jungkook’s “Seven,” “3D” and “Standing Next to You” each reached No. 1 on both the Global 200 and Global (Excl. U.S.) charts. He was also the first solo artist worldwide to have three or more songs simultaneously top both charts within a single year. On Spotify, “Seven” has remained on the Weekly Top Songs Global chart for 136 weeks, the first and longest run for an Asian solo artist. The track has surpassed 2.8 billion cumulative streams, described as a first among songs by Asian artists and among releases from 2023. After its release, “Seven” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and stayed on the chart for 15 consecutive weeks, Billboard said.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-02 10:21:17
  • SF9’s Yoo Tae-yang wraps solo fan meeting ahead of military enlistment
    SF9’s Yoo Tae-yang wraps solo fan meeting ahead of military enlistment SF9 member Yoo Tae-yang spent a day with fans at a solo fan meeting held ahead of his military enlistment. Yoo held two sessions of his fan meeting, titled “The Room: Together,” at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Feb. 28 at the Grand Auditorium of Sungshin Women’s University’s Woonjung Green Campus. The event was held on his birthday, days before his scheduled enlistment on March 3. He opened by singing “Reality,” from the soundtrack of the film “La Boum.” After the song, Yoo smiled at fans and said he chose the opening number because he wanted to convey his feelings through the lyrics. Built around a “ROOM” theme, the fan meeting featured segments including “Play ROOM,” where he revealed fans’ votes for his “Top 4” cover songs they wanted to hear again and performed all four. He also played a telepathy-style balance game, took on multiple dance challenges and interacted closely with the audience. In the “FANTASY ROOM” segment, fans held a birthday celebration with songs and letters. Yoo posed for photos using various items and gestures. The show, backed by a live band, was staged in a mini-concert format. Yoo performed band-arranged versions of SF9’s “Melodrama” and “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” and also sang cover songs and an unreleased self-composed track. During the second session, SF9 members Youngbin, Inseong, Jaeyoon and Hwiyoung appeared as special guests. They performed together and shared lighthearted talk. Near the end, Yoo told fans, “I won’t forget the memories in this room today. I think I’ll miss it. Thank you for spending my birthday with me and for letting me make good memories with you.” The fan meeting ran about 120 minutes. After an encore, Yoo held a “hi-bye” send-off, greeting fans one by one before leaving. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-01 16:30:20
  • BTS’ Jung Kook builds solo success with ‘Seven’ and ‘GOLDEN’ ahead of group comeback
    BTS’ Jung Kook builds solo success with ‘Seven’ and ‘GOLDEN’ ahead of group comeback With BTS preparing to return in March, anticipation is rising worldwide. The comeback news, carried by “Arirang,” and plans for a world tour are expected to trigger immediate reactions beyond the music industry, affecting tourism and broader local economies. BTS is seen as both a force with global economic impact and a symbolic name that has elevated South Korea’s image. Ahead of the comeback, this outlet is publishing a “BTS member profile” series examining the group’s seven members one by one. <Editor’s note> Jung Kook, BTS’ youngest member, has carried one of the group’s broadest roles — main vocalist, lead dancer and sub-rapper. Onstage, he is known for steady live vocals paired with precise performance, and his work has extended into songwriting. His nickname, “golden maknae,” has become shorthand for that range. In 2023, his solo debut single “Seven” established his name beyond the group’s achievements. The song topped domestic and international charts and debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 upon entry. On Spotify, it set a record as the fastest track by an Asian artist to reach 1 billion streams. The momentum continued with his first solo album, “GOLDEN,” which led in both sales and streaming and cemented his standing as a solo act. “GOLDEN” frames what the album calls Jung Kook’s “golden moments.” Built around “Standing Next to You,” the track order follows an emotional arc from the start to the end of love. The retro-funk title track highlights his groove-driven vocals and performance, while the album leans into pop-centered global sounds. Collaborations with world-renowned producers also underscored his positioning as a global pop star. Vocals remain his core strength. Rather than relying only on power, he shifts smoothly between chest voice and falsetto to shape a song’s mood. Even while executing BTS’ demanding choreography, he is known for stable live singing — a key reason he has long been central to the group’s vocal line. With performance added, he is often described not as a “dancing singer,” but as a vocalist who completes the stage. He has also steadily built a record as a creator. From “OUTRO: Love is Not Over” to “Autumn Leaves,” his solo track “Begin,” and the fan song “Magic Shop,” he contributed his own language to BTS’ narrative. Later releases such as “Still With You,” “My You” and “Never Let Go” showed a careful approach to emotion and melody. “Still With You,” in particular, has remained widely discussed beyond the fan base, highlighting his songwriting sensibility. His impact is reflected in streaming figures. On Spotify, “Seven” and “Standing Next to You” each surpassed 1 billion streams, setting a first for an Asian solo singer, and his cumulative streams on his personal account also reached a new milestone. Jung Kook is no longer defined only as “the group’s youngest member,” but as a solo artist proving himself through results in the global pop market. As BTS returns as a team, Jung Kook is set to resume his role as a central vocalist. At the same time, he has already secured a clear place as a solo artist — across performance, vocals and records — and remains one of the most direct examples of how far K-pop has reached.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-01 06:03:21