K-BUZZ

Global Hit! IU & Byeon Woo-seok’s ‘Perfect Crown’ Tops Charts in 44 Countries

K-BUZZ

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 9:26

Virtual idol group PLAVE has proven their dominance in the K-pop scene by achieving an impressive chart sweep across major music platforms with their fourth mini-album, placing all tracks in Melon's top ten including their title track at number two. This phenomenon follows their sold-out performance at Gocheok Sky Dome, cementing their status as a top-tier group despite being entirely virtual performers. Meanwhile, IVE returns to Tokyo Dome for their second world tour, BTS maintains their position at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 with their single maintaining global chart dominance, and SEVENTEEN announces their massive Japanese fan meeting tour at Tokyo Dome and Kyocera Dome Osaka. Plus, Kim Go-eun returns as Yumi in the third season of the beloved drama series, while IU and Byeon Woo-seok's new MBC drama becomes a massive hit across forty-four countries.


Stay connected with K-BUZZ for your daily dose of Korean entertainment news!

Visit us at https://www.kbuzz.net for more updates, episode archives, and additional content.

Love the show? Leave us a review and help other K-pop and K-drama fans discover K-BUZZ. Your support helps us keep bringing you the latest from Korea's entertainment scene every day.

Thanks for listening, and we'll catch you in the next episode!

SPEAKER_00

Welcome to K-Buzz, your daily source for the latest Korean entertainment news.

SPEAKER_01

We're your hosts bringing you all the hottest updates from the K-pop and K-drama world.

SPEAKER_00

Today is April 14th, 2026, and we've got some incredible stories to share with you.

SPEAKER_01

Let's dive right in.

SPEAKER_00

Virtual Idol group Plave has proven their dominance in the K-pop scene with their latest release, achieving an impressive chart sweep across major music platforms. Their fourth mini album, Caligo Part 2, dropped on April 13th, and by midnight the following day, all tracks had entered the top 10 of Mellon's top 100 chart. The title track Born Savage landed at number 2, while I Think So took third place. Flower Parade claimed fourth, and Luna Heart secured sixth position. This phenomenon follows their sold-out performance at Gochiok Sky Dome last November, cementing their status as a top-tier group, despite being entirely virtual performers.

SPEAKER_01

This marks their second performance at the prestigious venue after their first Dome entry in 2024, when they sold out both days and drew 95,000 fans total. The announcement comes as Ive continues their tour momentum, having recently performed in Kuala Lumpur and with upcoming shows at Kyokura Domo Saka on April 18th and 19th. The group has been steadily building their Japanese presence with their third Japanese album Be Alive, topping Billboard Japan's album sales chart, and their hit Afterlike, surpassing 200 million streams on Japanese platforms.

SPEAKER_00

New Jeans members Harin, Hayane, and Hani were recently spotted together in Copenhagen, Denmark, marking their first overseas appearance since confirming their return to the group. The three members, who have all officially decided to rejoin Adore and continue as New Jeans, were accompanied by staff during their Denmark visit. However, Member Minji's status remains unclear as she continues discussions with the agency about her future, with no sightings reported during this trip. Meanwhile, former member Danielle, who left the group after contract termination and is facing a 43 billion one lawsuit from a door, released demo tracks on her birthday April 11th, signalling her move toward independent activities.

SPEAKER_01

BTS continues their global chart domination as their latest single Swim holds strong at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the third consecutive week. The track, which debuted at number one, has maintained its position in the top five while simultaneously topping the Global 200, Global excluding US, and digital song sales charts for three straight weeks. According to industry data, Swim accumulated approximately 83 million streams in one week with around 44,000 downloads. The group's full album, Ah Rerang, has also achieved remarkable success, claiming number one on Spotify's weekly top albums chart for three consecutive weeks and topping charts in Germany and reaching fifth place in the UK.

SPEAKER_00

Tomorrow Buy Together has achieved their seventh consecutive million seller status, with their eighth mini album, seventh year. When the wind briefly stopped in the thorns, selling over 1.35 million copies on its first day. Released on April 13th, this marks their continued streak of million-selling albums dating back to their fourth mini-album, Mini Sode 2, Thursday's Child, in 2022. The title track One More Day reached number 18 on Mellon's Top 100 chart and claimed first place on Bug's Real-Time Chart. Globally, the album debuted at number one on the Worldwide iTunes album chart and entered the top three on the European iTunes album chart, demonstrating the group's strong international fan base.

SPEAKER_01

17 is gearing up for a massive Japanese fan meeting tour titled Yaku Soku, which translates to Promise in Korean, symbolizing their eternal bond with fans. The group will perform at Tokyo Dome on May 13th and 14th, followed by Kyutsura Dome Osaka on May 23rd and 24th, marking their second time holding fan meetings exclusively in Dome venues. This announcement comes on the heels of their successful world tour New Underscore Encore concerts at Incheon Asiad Main Stadium, which drew approximately 900,000 fans online and offline combined. The group is also preparing for their 10th anniversary fan meeting, 17 in Caratland, in June at the same Incheon venue, while unit activities continue with DK and Sheng Quan's solo concert, NSQ, and Ming Yu's performances in Kaoshung.

SPEAKER_00

Rising Boy Group Courtis is showcasing their creative prowess with their second mini album, Green Green, set for release on May 4th after surpassing 2 million pre-orders. All six tracks on the album were self-produced by the members following a songwriting camp in Los Angeles, with the title Track Red Red and three other songs featuring contributions from every member. The group took full creative control, handling not only songwriting and composition, but also choreography and video production. The title track Red Red metaphorically expresses what the team is wary of through the colour red, featuring addictive melodies and distinctive lyrics crafted collaboratively by the members over rough synthesizer sounds and repetitive rhythms.

SPEAKER_01

NMX is returning with their fifth mini album, Heavy Serenade, on May 11th, approximately seven months after their last release, Blue Valentine, in October. The album's promotional scheduler reveals a music-themed concept featuring treblecliffs, musical notes, and dynamic markings staying true to the album's title. The group will pre-release the track Crescendo with its music video on April 28th, two weeks before the full album drops, giving fans an early taste of their new sound. NMX has been building momentum following their successful first world tour and their performance at the Brazilian Carnival, with their first full album achieving number one on major Korean music charts and earning 10 music show wins.

SPEAKER_00

The NBC drama 21st Century Grand Prince's Wife, starring Ayu and Beyon Wussiok, has become a massive hit both domestically and internationally, dominating viewership and buzz rankings. The series claimed first place on Disney Plus Korea's top 10 immediately after its April 11th premiere and reached fourth place globally on Disney Plus TV shows by April 13th, ranking number one in 44 countries, including Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. Domestic ratings have been equally impressive, with the first episode achieving 7.8% nationwide viewership, and the second episode reaching 9.5% with a peak of 11.1%. The romantic comedy, set in an alternate reality where Korea is a constitutional monarchy, has captivated audiences with the chemistry between its two proven stars, though some viewers note that certain character setups could benefit from further development.

SPEAKER_01

Actress Kim Go-un has returned to her beloved role as Yumi in the third season of Yumi's Cells, which premiered on April 13th on TVN and streaming platform T-Ving. The series picks up with Yumi as a successful author experiencing a three-year dating hiatus, unable to feel romantic emotions despite being a romance writer. Kim Go-yoon's nuanced performance captures Yumi's emotional dormancy through subdued expressions and dry delivery, contrasting with the vibrant emotions she portrayed in previous seasons. The actress showcases her range when Yumi's anger cell reawakens after 894 days following an encounter with producer Shin Soon-Rok, played by Kim Jae won, leading to a playful revenge plot involving strawberry cream fish-shaped pastries. Until then, stay tuned to all things Korean Entertainment, and we'll catch you tomorrow.