[Kang Il-hong's Today Entertainment] BIGBANG, '40,000 Fans Sing Along'... Igniting Hanoi and Heading to the World Stage

Lim Young Woong returns to the screen on November 18th... The "Hero Era" box office myth.October 26th, Monday: BIGBANG / Lim Young Woong / Yang Hong-won / 'Doctor X' controversy.Celebrating their 20th debut anniversary, BIGBANG once again showcased their presence in the global concert market. On the 24th, the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam, was set ablaze by approximately 40,000 fans waving yellow cheering sticks, known as 'Bongbong'. /VP Bank[THE FACT|Reporter Kang Il-hong] Let's start by looking at the news of BIGBANG's large-scale concert held in Hanoi, Vietnam, over the weekend. Celebrating their 20th debut anniversary, BIGBANG once again demonstrated their presence in the global concert market through their world tour.On the 24th, the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam, was heated up by approximately 40,000 fans waving yellow cheering sticks, known as 'Bongbong'.The concert, which began with 'Fantastic Baby', continued with a rich setlist of over 30 songs, including hits like 'Loser', 'Blue', 'Lies', 'Haru Haru', and 'Bad Boy', as well as new songs and solo performances by each member.In particular, the audience's cheers reached a crescendo with G-Dragon's groundbreaking guitar performance, and even after the concert ended, fans sang 'Haru Haru' together, requesting an encore. BIGBANG responded with songs like 'Red Sunset', filling the venue with warm emotion.The audience's perfect sing-along, which continued without Korean subtitles, demonstrated BIGBANG's musical influence that transcends borders. According to the organizers, tickets for the Hanoi concert sold out within 10 minutes of their release, with all 80,000 seats for two days being sold out. The concert also created a so-called 'BIGBANG effect', with a surge in hotel reservations and transportation demand around the venue, as well as merchandise sales.This fervor continues with their 20th-anniversary world tour. BIGBANG will kick off their world tour, 'BIGBANG 2026 WORLD TOUR IN GOYANG with Coupang Play', from August 21st to 23rd at the Goyang Stadium in Gyeonggi Province, and will tour major cities worldwide, including North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia.They are scheduled to perform a total of 31 concerts in 18 cities by February of next year, including large venues such as Paris's Stade de France, London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and Tokyo Dome.BIGBANG, who reunited with global fans on the Coachella stage last April, showed that the intense passion confirmed in Hanoi proves that 20 years of music and memories still move fans around the world.With their 20th debut anniversary, anticipation is high for the records BIGBANG's world tour will leave in the global K-pop concert market.The concert film 'Lim Young Woong│I AM HERO THE STADIUM 2' will be released nationwide at CGV on November 18th. This work captures Lim Young Woong's stadium concert held at the Goyang Stadium in Gyeonggi Province last September, bringing the emotional moments shared with the fan club 'Hero Era' on their 10th debut anniversary to the screen. /Mulgoji Music250,000 → 350,000 audience success... Will the stadium concert screen record continue?Singer Lim Young Woong is once again making waves in the theater district. On November 18th, the concert film 'Lim Young Woong│I AM HERO THE STADIUM 2' will be released nationwide at CGV.This work captures Lim Young Woong's stadium concert held at the Goyang Stadium in Gyeonggi Province last September. In particular, it brings to the screen the emotional moments shared with the fan club 'Hero Era' on their 10th debut anniversary.This is an opportunity for both the audience who breathed intensely at the concert hall and those who couldn't experience the live atmosphere due to ticket shortages, to taste special emotions through the screen.This is the third concert film by Lim Young Woong. The first film, 'I AM HERO THE FINAL', was released in March 2023. It captured the encore concert at Gocheok Sky Dome and attracted approximately 250,000 viewers.The second was 'I AM HERO THE STADIUM', released in August 2024, which captured the concert at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. This film surpassed 340,000 cumulative viewers in its 8th week of release, surpassing BTS's previous record to become the all-time highest-grossing concert film in terms of audience numbers, and later surpassed 350,000 viewers.It also set a record as the first concert film to be simultaneously released in IMAX and ScreenX special theaters. The Goyang concert, which served as the backdrop for this third film, was attended by approximately 95,000 people over three days. With this, Lim Young Woong's cumulative audience for solo concerts has reached approximately 1 million.From drone shows and fireworks to live band performances and the passionate cheers of the Hero Era, Lim Young Woong's third concert film, 'I AM HERO THE STADIUM 2', will continue the emotion at the theater on November 18th, capturing the concert's感動 once again on screen.Jang Hanbyul graced the finale of the 2188th episode of KBS 1TV's 'National Singing Contest' on the 25th, a special episode featuring Changwon Special City, Gyeongsangnam-do. Performing on the outdoor special stage at the Changwon 3.15 Maritime Nurigongwon, she passionately sang her new song 'You Are My Star'. /KBS 'National Singing Contest'Fandom 'Eunhasu' goes wild... Crowds at every event and broadcast recording site.Trot singer Jang Hanbyul's momentum is remarkable. She proves her immense popularity by drawing her fandom to every broadcast recording site. On 'National Singing Contest', which she appeared on for the first time since her debut, she solidified her presence by performing the finale.On the 25th, during the 2188th episode of KBS 1TV's 'National Singing Contest', featuring Changwon Special City, Gyeongsangnam-do, Jang Hanbyul took the stage as the final congratulatory singer at the outdoor special stage of Changwon 3.15 Maritime Nurigongwon and passionately sang her new song 'You Are My Star'.Her appearance as the finale performer from her very first appearance drew even more attention. Above all, it was the support of her fandom, 'Eunhasu', that heated up the atmosphere. As soon as Jang Hanbyul took the stage, enthusiastic cheers from her fans erupted, and with the addition of cheers and sing-alongs from the audience, the outdoor special stage was truly transformed into a festival atmosphere.Jang Hanbyul captivated the audience with her signature soulful voice and stable vocal skills. The combination of fan support and audience response perfectly showcased the charm of a live performance enjoyed on-site, beyond just a broadcast.As such, Jang Hanbyul is solidifying her position as the 'new trot sensation' by showcasing her fandom's presence at every broadcast site. Her recently released new song 'Miya' is also gaining attention by ranking high on music charts. With the buzz from her broadcast appearances combined with her new song promotions, Jang Hanbyul's career is gaining further momentum.Adding to this, another piece of news that has fans eagerly anticipating is Jang Hanbyul's first solo concert, held this weekend. Jang Hanbyul will hold her first solo concert, 'THE STAR IS BORN', on October 31st and November 1st at the Daehan Hall, Sejong University, Seoul.Following her ability to draw enthusiastic responses from fans and audiences on broadcast stages, attention is focused on what kind of performances and emotions Jang Hanbyul will deliver at her solo concert.From her first appearance on 'National Singing Contest' to the finale performance, the chart success of her new song 'Miya', and her first solo concert, Jang Hanbyul is expanding her performance stages with the support of her fandom 'Eunhasu'. Her steps towards becoming the trot sensation are accelerating, and anticipation is high for what new records and stories she will create at her first solo concert this weekend.Rapper Yang Hong-won has become the center of controversy due to allegations of infidelity that surfaced immediately after his wedding. On the 23rd, an individual claiming to be Yang Hong-won's acquaintance raised suspicions that he accompanied another woman to a motel. The agency admitted to the fact of going to the motel but denied any intimate acts within the room. /Yang Hong-won's SNSControversy just 5 days after marriage... Public judgment on celebrities' private lives.Why does the public show more interest in the deviant private lives of others than in their ordinary daily lives? While they applaud exemplary lives, criticism quickly turns into anger the moment someone is deemed to have deviated from moral standards. The repercussions are even greater in matters involving marriage, family, and trust, such as allegations of infidelity.Recently, rapper Yang Hong-won became the center of controversy due to allegations of infidelity that surfaced immediately after his wedding. On the 23rd, an individual claiming to be Yang Hong-won's acquaintance raised suspicions that he accompanied another woman to a motel. The agency admitted to the fact of going to the motel but denied any intimate acts within the room. Yang Hong-won and the woman in question are currently taking legal action against the accuser.Therefore, based solely on the confirmed fact of accompanying someone to a motel, it cannot be concluded that infidelity occurred. The truth of the allegations is a matter that needs to be clarified through facts and investigations.However, the controversy has also extended to the YouTube channel 'Yang Hong-won's Childcare Diary', which has garnered 540,000 subscribers with family content. The production team temporarily restricted comments to protect the cast members while verifying the facts.The public's disappointment and questions are growing as past stories of marital conflict and childcare are being rehashed.The lives of celebrities, once exposed to the public, are consumed not just as private matters but as an image and trust. Especially for content that depicted family, love, and responsibility, the gap between that image and the actual controversy creates a greater impact.However, there is also something we must guard against here. Condemning suspicions as facts or prosecuting unconfirmed private lives as if in a trial.Celebrities are people who receive public attention, but that attention does not equate to a guilty verdict. Images can be shattered overnight. However, truth must be judged by confirmed facts, not by the speed of public opinion.The private lives of celebrities and the public's right to know are always in conflict. Immoral acts must be condemned. However, we must also be wary of viewing them solely through an emotional lens focused on sensationalism, as if watching a neighbor's house burn down.Despite highest viewership ratings, controversy over the reenactment of May 18th, how far will it spread?SBS drama 'Doctor X: The Era of the White Mafia' is garnering attention with its high viewership ratings, nearing 20%. According to Nielsen Korea, the drama has consistently ranked first in overall viewership and drama rankings almost every week.However, 'Doctor X' has become embroiled in controversy for using the May 18th Democratization Movement as a subject matter in the drama, featuring elements like the bus route 518 and the May 18th National Cemetery.The controversy began in the 6th episode, aired on the 24th. A scene depicted a genius surgeon, Gye Soo-jeong, operating on a patient who sustained a gunshot wound to the head during the May 18th incident in 1980. The bullet remaining in the character's head is presented as evidence of the martial forces' helicopter gunfire at the time.In addition, the appearance of the actual city bus route 518 operating in Gwangju and the National May 18th Cemetery drew significant attention from viewers. The controversy further escalated with the appearance of a fictional former president, who was interpreted as a reference to former President Chun Doo-hwan.Viewer reactions are divided. While some criticize the use of historical events, which have little direct relevance to the medical drama's narrative, as inappropriate, others offer positive evaluations, stating that the drama shed light on the scars left by state violence on individuals through the lens of a medical drama.The controversy has even led to a petition on the National Assembly's website. Some viewers have demanded the suspension of the drama's broadcast and accountability from the production team. However, even if the petition meets the consent requirements before its public release, it does not guarantee a broadcast suspension or official review.What kind of repercussions can be expected in the future? First, explanations may be required from the production team regarding their reenactment of historical facts and the intent behind the work's planning. Second, interest is expected to grow regarding whether the broadcast content will be subject to review. Third, it remains to be seen whether the controversy will lead to increased viewership ratings or, conversely, cause viewers to tune out.In fact, the viewership rating for the 6th episode reached a personal best of 19.5% nationwide, with the minute-by-minute highest rating climbing to 21.3%.Ultimately, the core of this controversy is not simply the use of historical material. It is a matter of how the tragic history was reenacted with what context and responsibility. Regardless of the high viewership ratings, the explanations and subsequent responses from the production team will determine the direction of the controversy.eel@tf.co.kr