MMA fighter Akiyama shares his first BTS concert experience, praising their performance despite heavy rain and expressing gratitude.

HYBE announced record Q1 2026 earnings of 698.3 billion won, a 40% increase from last year. Key drivers included BTS's album sales and SEVENTEEN's success. Direct sales rose 25% to 403.7 billion won, with BTS's 'ARIRANG' selling 3.98 million copies on its first day. The company expects continued growth with upcoming album releases from various artists.

During BTS's North America tour starting April 25, their songs made it to the Oricon weekly streaming chart, with 'Crystal Snow' at 1st and 'MIC Drop' at 8th. TWICE's 'THIS IS FOR' also ranked 7th, while Sakanaction's 'Yoru no Odoriko' reached 2nd, reflecting their popularity in Japan and Korea.

BTS launched their North America tour in Tampa, performing to 190,000 fans. The concerts featured songs from their new album 'ARIRANG' and included a memorable rendition of the Korean folk song 'Arirang'. Jin expressed his excitement about the venue, and the group looks forward to continuing their tour in El Paso and beyond.

The operator of the YouTube channel 'Tardok (De-Otaku) Detention Center' was ordered to pay 1.7 billion won for defaming SM Entertainment artists like aespa and EXO. The court found that the videos harmed the artists' reputations and brand value, leading to significant damages. SM Entertainment plans to continue legal action against such defamatory content.

BTS's V has proven his global influence by ranking 2nd in the HypeAuditor's top 1000 influencers and 1st on TikTok. He set records on Instagram, gaining 1 million followers in 43 minutes and 10 million in under 5 hours. Recently, he surpassed 70 million followers on Instagram and has 12.46 million on TikTok, achieving rapid growth since its launch.

BTS's album 'ARIRANG', released during their world tour, has returned to No. 1 on the Oricon weekly digital album chart after 5 weeks. It debuted at No. 1 with the highest first-week downloads for an overseas artist and has remained in the digital album top 5 for 6 consecutive weeks. The album includes 14 tracks that explore the group's identity and universal emotions, with total downloads reaching 19,432.

BTS has been awarded the 'Estimado Amigo' award in El Paso, Texas, for their positive impact on local tourism and community pride during their North America tour. The El Paso County Commission declared May 2-3 as 'El Paso BTS Weekend,' anticipating a $75 million economic boost from the concerts. BTS is set to perform at Sun Bowl Stadium, marking their first solo concert as a Korean artist in the city.

During BTS's concert in Tampa, Jungkook expressed his anger over significant sound issues that affected his performance of 'Magic Shop.' After the show, he sang the song again without accompaniment to address the problem. He later apologized to fans on social media, stating he was also upset about the situation. BTS continues their tour in Tampa with more shows scheduled.

This month's satellite programming includes the Japanese premiere of 'Company Employees' with star guests, 'Jaejoong Season 5', BTS's 2015 live concert, and new dramas like 'Good Partner' and 'Parole Officer Lee Han-shin'. A variety of entertainment awaits viewers!

BTS's 5th full album 'ARIRANG' has achieved the remarkable feat of topping the Spotify weekly charts for 5 consecutive weeks. All 14 tracks from the album have charted, with the title song 'SWIM' reaching 3rd place. The album also performed well in various other charts, demonstrating BTS's strong global presence and popularity.