BTS

In 2020, the boy band BTS topped the Billboard Hot 100 Chart with two consecutive singles, “Dynamite” and “Life Goes On.” In particular, “Life Goes On” rewrote the history of Korean music by becoming the first song with Korean lyrics to become No. 1. In 2021, BTS’s two new singles, “Butter” and “Permission to Dance” rose to No. 1 in the Billboard Hot 100. “Butter” stayed at the top for ten weeks in total, which is the longest record among songs released in 2021. On June 14, 2022, nine years after their debut, BTS announced their plan to go on a hiatus. During the hiatus, the members will complete their mandatory military service and continue to perform by forming “units.”

BLACKPINK

BLACKPINK is one of the most successful K-Pop bands, with their music videos for such songs as “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du,” “Kill This Love,” and “Boombayah” reaching 1 billion views combined. In addition, in September and October 2022, the group’s second album, Born Pink, became a No. 1 hit in both the US and the UK, making BLACKPINK the only Asian female artist/group to win both charts at the same time.



Son Heung-min

Son Heung-min is a footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur F.C. in the England Premiere League (EPL). He is the first Asian player to become the top scorer in the 2021-2022 season, and achieved the highest rank among Asian footballers in Ballon d’Or 2022 (11th). In addition, Son is the first non-English Tottenham player to score more than 100 goals in total.





Lee Min-ho

Lee Min-ho ranked 1st in the list of favorite Korean actors in a 2021 survey on the status of the Korean Wave overseas (9.6%). He is followed by more than 90 million users on social media services, including Facebook and Instagram. The King: Eternal Monarch, in which he plays the lead, ranked 9th in the Netflix World Ranking in 2020. He once again proved his renown by starring in the 2022 series Pachinko, which became a No. 1 hit in the global OTT market.