ICYMI IN CASE YOU MISSED IT - 2019 ROUND UP (SPECIAL ARTICLE!)

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JANUARY 1 - DECEMBER 31


Hello everyone, and welcome to this special edition of ICYMI! In case you were wondering why we didn't post our usual article on Sunday, here is the answer - our team was secretly adding the final touch to this thread to celebrate the end of 2019! We (miatheikonic, Nara and Galaxy) have been working since the end of November to compile everything that happened in the past twelve months. This article is divided into four posts, and we hope it's complete enough for you to start 2020 with all the information you need on news, new releases, chart results and various achievements.
Before you start reading, go get yourself something to drink, grab some snacks and make sure nothing will distract you for a while! We hope you will enjoy ;)





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BY GALAXY

Disclaimer: the writing of this portion required a lot of reading and researches. Some stories deserved more than a short paragraph to be told completely, but unfortunately, I had to keep recaps somewhat short. I hope that information will be accurate enough, and if it isn't the case, feel free to correct me in the comments section!


JANUARY:
#1- We're all used to Dispatch's wild celebrity romance stories and exposés, and yet, 2019 started with an announcement that no one saw coming. As a "celebration" of the new year, the tabloid revealed on January 1st that EXO's Kai and Blackpink's Jennie were in a relationship, posting pictures of a picnic in November 2018 as proof. SM Entertainment released a statement a few hours later confirming the news -- the idols "had become fond of each other". Unfortunately, the two decided to part ways quite soon after, and we learnt about their separation on January 25th. Will Dispatch reveal another couple in a few hours? Let's wait and see!


#2- January was also a month of investigations and huge revelations - one particular case becoming and remaining a subject of intense scrutiny for the rest of the year.

An inquiry was initiated by the Ministry of Education, which found that Dongshin University had awarded diplomas and provided scholarships to several celebrities, despite their extremely low attendance rates. Yoong Junhyung, Chu Gayeou, Jang Hyunseung, BTOB's Eunkwang and Sungjae, and Highlight's Gikwang and Doojoon all saw their degrees revoked after a trial and rejected appeal in January and April respectively.

The Burning Sun scandal -- a case so complex that it still regularly makes the news today -- was revealed to the world on the 29th of January, through an MBC video broadcast of an assault that had allegedly taken place in a Gangnam club. The Kpop industry was shaken to its core as BigBang member Seungri (a co-director of the club), was isolated as a suspect in the investigation that followed. A paragraph wouldn't be enough to summarise this situation: a hundred people were booked for questioning over the course of the year, a line up including several idols and police officers. Furthermore, it seemed to open the floodgates to the disclosure of several other interconnected scandals, involving prostitution, gambling and the unauthorised sharing of sexual material (all to be discussed later in this article).


#3- Let's now take a look at the musical side of things, which saw a lot of positive developments in Korea and China. JYP and BigHit both announced new debuts: ITZY (a girl group - debuted on February 12th) and TXT (a boy group - debuted on March 4th), respectively. Excitement amongst fans was palpable, with teasers breaking records, and social media accounts quickly attracting millions of followers! On January 17th, another highly anticipated group, WayV, released their first song in China -- a Mandarin version of their sister-group NCT 127's "Regular". On January 24th, PSY revealed that he had finally created his own company, P-Nation. Rumors that EDawn and Hyuna were to join the label quickly circulated, and were proven right just a few days later!

Unfortunately, J-music fans weren't destined to receive the same good tidings -- Kana Nishino announced that she would be putting her career on an indefinite hiatus, marrying her boyfriend two months later; Arashi revealed that they would be ceasing all activities by 2020; and Kojima Mako made the decision to graduate from AKB48.



(Main sources: wikipedia.com, koreadispatch.com, soompi.com, popcrush.com, eonline.com, scmp.com, aramajapan.com, onehallyu.com, universityworldnews.com.)


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FEBRUARY:
#1- In February, a certain group made sure the entire world would remember them for a long time to come! BTS, dressed to impress, made headlines when they presented their first Grammy Award in Los Angeles on February 11th (an unprecedented event in the world of Kpop). After hinting at upcoming collaborations with industry bigwigs, they sold out their world tour -- entire stadiums worth of tickets -- in a few hours, and even ended up having to add more dates to satisfy popular demand. It was also revealed that the group had made huge donations to several charities during that month. Their admirable selflessness was clearly noticed by many people, as we learnt that the city of Gwangju, J-Hope's hometown, would open a mental health clinic called "Hope" on the idol's birthday. We really couldn't be prouder of BTS!


#2 - Another scandal broke out in February, this time involving the Seoul School of Performing Arts -- a prestigious institution with many notable idols amongst their alumni. Late in the month, students posted a video accusing the school's principal of coercing them into physical contact "private party" performances. The case was already under investigation by the Seoul Police. By the end of March, an online petition addressed to the government, demanding justice for the teenagers, had gathered more than 200,000 signatures. The principal resigned from his position in late April.


#3- February was definitely an interesting month music-wise. Five days after ITZY's debut with "Dalla Dalla", Yuehua revealed their new girl group, Everglow, scheduled to release their first album a month later. Rapper Beenzino completed his military service on February 16th, and started comeback preparations. In Japan, Hiragana Keyakizaka46 announced that it would be separating from the main Keyakizaka46 group, and operating independently under the name Hinatazaka46. B.A.P members decided not to re-sign with TS Entertainment, and in a similar vein, Cai Xukun won his lawsuit against his former company, thus nullifying his contract.



(Main sources: grammy.com, koreaboo.com, onehallyu.com, altselection.com, @oh_mes2 on Twitter.)


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MARCH:
#1- Kang Daniel's fans had cause to worry in March. The idol, who had won the second season of Produce 101, and subsequently performed as the center of Wanna One, was revealed to have filed a contract termination request with his label, LM Entertainment. The company refused to cooperate, and the issue was taken to court, where it was explained that Kang's contract had been sold to a third party, in a for-profit transaction -- all without his knowledge or consent. In early May, a ruling was made in his favour, and he was permitted to leave LM Entertainment. And a happy ending: Daniel started his own company and made his solo debut with the album "Color on Me" on July 25th.


#2- On March 11th, the investigation of Big Bang's Seungri, in relation to the Burning Sun incident, took an unexpected turn. Just a few days after the announcement of his upcoming military enlistment, allegations were made against the idol, stating that he was a member of an illegal sexual spy-cam 'molka' chatroom -- and that he wasn't the only celebrity involved. In a matter of days, both singer Jung Joon Young, and F.T. Island leader Choi Jong Hoon were implicated, and the former was seen returning to Korea for questioning. (In Choi's case, there was also a second offense: it was revealed that he had bribed police officials into covering up a personal DUI back in 2016). The three idols quickly announced their retirement from the entertainment industry, and were banned from leaving the country. Investigations continued through the spring, and while Seungri was booked for allegations of procuring, Jung Joon Young, arrested on multiple 'molka' chatroom charges, was revealed to have corresponded with yet another celebrity -- Highlight's Yong Jun Hyung -- who admitted to having received illegal footage in a one-on-one conversation with him, and ended up leaving his group. Lee Jonghyun, also named in connection to these crimes, initially tried to defend himself, but finally confessed. However, the musician refused to part ways with his group immediately -- he changed his mind later in the year, leaving CNBlue in August after facing months of heavy criticism. Finally, Roy Kim and Eddy Kim were also confirmed as participants in the 'molka' chatrooms. In April, five men, including Jung and Choi, were charged with gang sexual assault. In November, the two men were sentenced to 6 and 5 years in prison, respectively.


#3- On a lighter note, the Kpop industry was positively bustling with activity in the month of March. Everglow debuted on the 18th with their album's lead single "Bon Bon Chocolat". Companies saw idols come and go: SNSD's Seohyun joined Namoo Actors, Suzy left JYP for SOOP Entertainment, and A-JAX, CocoSori and Kalafina announced their disbandment. While AKB48 officials reported that no senbatsu election would be held this year, two former members of the group signed with Korean agencies: Takeuchi Miyu with Mystic Entertainment, and Takahashi Juri with Woollim (she debuted as a member of Rocket Punch in August). We had to bid SHINee's Key, VIXX's N and 2AM's Jinwoon all a temporary farewell -- they enlisted in the army on the 4th. Last but not least, ZE:A's Siwan was discharged on the 27th and was casted on the wildly popular drama "Strangers From Hell" soon after.



(Main sources: soompi.com, ourdaniel.com, onehallyu.com, wikipedia.com, reddit.com, Koreaboo.com.)


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APRIL:
#1- Only three years after his previous scandal, JYJ's Yoochun made headlines once again, in April. Through an investigation of a possible link between Hwang Hana (Yoochun's ex-girlfriend) and the Burning Sun case, it was discovered that the former lovers had taken drugs together. Yoochun denied the accusations, stating at a press conference that he had never used drugs - however, he tested positive a few days later, and the police had gathered enough evidence to back their claims. When the singer tried to defend himself once more, his company terminated his contract and announced that he would be retiring from the entertainment industry. He was arrested on April 26th, and admitted to most of his charges on April 29th. In July, he was sentenced to a 2-year probation, along with 10 months of imprisonment in case of any breach during that period.


#2- Adding to the list of notable debuts, April saw AB6IX and their first EP, "B:Complete". Blackpink, BTS and Twice, all saw great success with their new releases ("Kill This Love", "Boy With Luv" and "Fancy") -- breaking records and setting new standards. Blackpink, in addition to their hit-making, marked Kpop history with their performance at Coachella. The Japanese group Perfume also had the honour of participating in the festival. SHINee's Choi Minho enlisted in the Marines, while actor Lee Minho was discharged from the army. Lastly, Fantagio confirmed Hello Venus' disbandment, and it was revealed that the members of TRAX hadn't renewed their contracts with SM Entertainment.



(Main sources: soompi.com, k-gen.fr, onehallyu.com, wikipedia.com, koreaboo.com.)


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MAY:
#1- In May, AKB fans had much to be angry about. Back in early January, we had learned that Yamaguchi Maho, a member of NGT48, had been assaulted by two men (helped by a third accomplice) at her apartment in December 2018. Upon being met by a lack of support from her managers' and even the police, who had freed the suspects without any charges, Maho decided to speak out via V-Live. She explained her situation, and accused a member of her group of sharing her personal information with the perpetrators prior to the incident. Soon, Maho had issued an apology to her fans - but then, some weeks later, stated that she had been forced to do so by NGT officials. The following months didn't see any improvement: even though the director of their theatre was transferred to other functions, and an internal investigation was launched, the idol and her management remained embroiled in conflict. The city of Niigata cut all ties with the group, and several girls were accused of bullying on the basis of their response to the events. Maho and two of her friends, Sugahara Riko and Hasegawa Rena, announced their graduation from the group on April 21st. On the same day, it was revealed that NGT would be dismantling their current team system to start anew. The three idols concluded their AKB journey on May 18th, with a solo stage performance for their final concert (no other members were allowed to join them). Since then, Maho has become part of Ken-On Group, Riko has signed a contract with Avex Management, and Rena has taken steps to pursue a career in voice acting.


#2- May was a month of goodbyes: Pristin and 14U disbanded, Berry Good's Taeha and AOA's Mina left their groups, ChoA parted ways with FNC Entertainment, and EXO's Xiumin and Yoon Jisung began their enlistment. Fortunately, their was also some good news, as Super Junior's Kyuhyun and 2PM's Taecyeon finally came back from the army!



(Main sources: Wikipedia.com, sbs.com.au, onehallyu.com, mainichi.jp, asahi.com, tokyohive.com, produce-101.fandom.com, soompi.com.)


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JUNE:
#1- Our summary of the Burning Sun scandal wouldn't be complete without a discussion of the downfall of Yang Hyun Suk, the founder of YG Entertainment. In the face of multiple criminal allegations made against him earlier in the year, Yang Hyun Suk ended up stepping down from his position as CEO of the company on June 14th. On the 28th, a documentary reported that he may have been involved in illegal night business, and these accusations crescendo-ed over the summer, with a certain Madame Jung claiming that the man had been involved in the solicitation of prostitutes. Yang was booked by authorities on July 17th, and a month later, was revealed to be suspected for embezzling his artists' concert profits for gambling in several countries. Investigations on him and Seungri immediately followed, he was banned from leaving the country, and police seized YGE to search for evidence.
The case, unsurprisingly, had consequences for the idols signed under YGE. Treasure13's debut, initially planned for July, was put on hold due to Yang's departure from the company. Meanwhile, IKON's B.I, who had been publicly exposed for trying to purchase drugs in 2016 from Han Seo Hee, was terminated. The idol left his group on June 12th and apologized to his fans immediately after.


#2- Were you one of those who were overjoyed to see Song Hye Kyo and Song Joong Ki get married in October 2017? If yes, you were probably met with some pretty devastating news in June! On the 27th, it was revealed that Song Joong Ki was in the process of filing for divorce and that the couple had been living apart for months. Even though his (ex-)wife immediately clarified that "differences in personality" were what drove the two apart, and asked journalists to refrain from invading their personal life further, rumors began to spread with claims that Song Hye Kyo had cheated -- with Park Bogum, according to some. The actor's agency was quick to respond with a firm denial of all such accusations, and threats of legal action against any rumor-mongers. Regardless of what instigated the Song-Song divorce, we were sad to see such a beautiful love story ending so soon!


#3- One of the most anticipated and speculated-about debuts in the last few years finally became a reality in June! Produce 101 winner and former I.O.I member, Jeon Somi, released "Birthday" under the Black Label on the 13th, close to a year after her departure from JYP Entertainment. In enlistment news, B1A4's Jinyoung began his service on June 20th.


Actress Jeon Mi Sun passed away on June 29th. She was 50 years old.



(Main sources: hallyuplus.net, soompi.com, koreaboo.com, @oh_mes2 on Twitter, wikipedia.com.)


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JULY:
#1- While many of us were busy celebrating our summer vacations, the realm of Kpop was still bursting at the seams with scandals! One of the most notable cases of the month involved Big Bang's Daesung - a Gangnam building he had owned since 2017 was found to be hosting illegal activities including the distribution of drugs, and prostitution. The idol, who at the time was still in the military, immediately blamed the building's leaseholders, denying any awareness of the situation and apologising for his poor management skills. However, lawyers maintained that there was no way such business was being conducted entirely unbeknownst to him. As of today, almost a hundred people have been interrogated and/or booked by the police, and Daesung is still liable for further investigation. Several floors of the building have since been demolished.

At the beginning of the month, we also learnt about the arrest of Kang Ji-Hwan, accused of sexual assault on two female employees of his agency. It was revealed that the actor had been under the influence of alcohol when the incident took place at his home. He quickly admitted to all charges, and formally apologized to the two victims. Huayi Brothers, his agency, terminated his contract a few days later. He was sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment in December.


#2- On July 19th, the 4th season of Produce 101 came to an end, and the names of the 11 winners were finally announced during the show's final episode! OUI's Kim Yohan (1st place), TOP Media's Kim Wooseok, Plan A's Han Seungwoo, Starship's Song Hyungjun and Kang Minhee, Yuehua's Cho Seungyoun, DSP Media's Son Dongpyo, MBK's Lee Hangyul and Nam Dohyun, Woollim's Cha Junho and "X" member Brand New Music's Lee Eunsang were all selected to be part of X1, which made its debut on August 27th with "Flash". However, celebrations didn't last long, as viewers quickly caught on to strange and unlikely coincidences in the amount of votes for several of the winners. Fans spent time exchanging theories on the internet, some of them announcing that they would take legal action on the 24th. Over the summer, police decided to conduct an investigation on the matter, seizing CJ ENM -- only to discover a phone mentioning rigged votes. It was the beginning of a case that is still underway today...


#3- It's now time to recap other industry related news, and there is a lot to cover! EXO-SC debuted on the 22nd; Ailee left YMC to start her own agency; Lee Kaeun parted ways with Pledis; Jenny and Kangin left DIA and Super Junior, respectively; Nogizaka46's captain Sakurai Reika announced her graduation from the group; and Camila disbanded. BigHit began its expansion, acquiring Source Music in the process. EXO's D.O and Infinite's Sungjong enlisted in the military (the latter only revealed he had left a few days later), and Big Bang's T.O.P was discharged. Last but not least, we were shocked to learn that Simon Yam had been stabbed while on stage at a presentation in China, but thankfully, the actor quickly recovered.


Johnny Kitagawa, the founder and president of Johnny & Associates, died on July 9th. He was 87 years-old.
An arsonist started a fire at Kyoto Animation's first studio on July 18th. 36 people were confirmed deceased and 34 others were injured.



(Main sources: hallyuplus.net, soompi.com, knetizen.com, allkpop.com, nst.com.my, @oh_mes2 on Twitter, variety.com, wikipedia.com.)



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AUGUST:
#1- Less than a month after his debut, Kang Daniel was once again a topic of interest -- this time for dating rumors! On August 5th, it was reported that the idol was in a relationship with Twice's Jihyo, and that they had been seeing each others for almost 8 months! JYP Entertainment quickly confirmed the news and we learnt a few days later that 2AM's Seulong had been the one to introduce the two. Unfortunately, Daniel faced some backlash from netizens, who accused him of not caring about his fans and career enough -- his agency later announced that they would sue anyone spreading malicious rumors. As of today, it seems that the two idols are still dating, and we wish them happiness!


#2- As one couple was revealed to the public, another was taken away. On August 17th, actress Ku Hye Sun announced on Instagram that her husband Ahn Jae Hyun wanted to file for divorce. It could have been a simple case of fading romance, if only Ku Hye Sun had not declared her still-existant feelings for her husband, and claimed that any official agency-issued statements addressing their situation would be full of lies. Their divorce turned into something of a public spectacle, with personal texts between them shared online, weighty accusations made by Ku, and both parties making attempts to justifying themselves in the media. In an interview given in November, Ku explained that she regretted some of her actions, and that she was feeling better about the split. We hope that they'll be able to settle the case peacefully!


#3- Things didn't calm down in the Entertainment industry either! On August 8th, SM Entertainment surprised everyone with the announcement of a new group: Super M, an elite crew of sorts, made up of members of EXO (Kai and Baekhyun), SHINee (Taemin) and NCT (Taeyeong, Mark, Lucas and Ten). Music Works made the decision to debut Song Yuvin and Kim Kookheon (both Produce X 101 participants) as a duet, disbanding their former group, MYTEEN, in the process. Japanese fans learnt that Johnny's jr groups SixTONES and Snowman would finally make their official debut in 2020, and that SKE48's Matsui Jurina would begin solo activities very soon - however, the idol went on hiatus in September for reasons pertaining to her health. Several idols left their companies: Park Jimin decided not to renew her contract with JYP Entertainment, YDPP's Gwanghyun parted ways with Starship, and Infinite's L and Produce X 101's Moon Junho left Woollim. Last but not least, August saw two celebrity weddings: comedian Kang Yoo Mi tied the knot with her boyfriend on the 3rd, while U-Kiss' Kiseop's was held on the 24th!



(Main sources: hallyuplus.net, oh_mes2 on Twitter, soompi.com, entertain.naver.com, youtube.com.)


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SEPTEMBER:
#1- In September, more was revealed in investigation of Produce 101. After gathering sufficient evidence of rigging, authorities decided to expand their search to all four seasons of the show, and seized several companies. It was soon discovered that, back in 2016, an agency had allegedly forced employees to vote for their trainees with thousands of accounts. This obviously had an impact on the newly debuted X1 - their appearances on music shows and a few of their endorsement contracts started getting cancelled one by one. Additionally, suspicions arose surrounding Idol School, when a former contestant claimed that most fromis_9 members had already signed with CJ ENM before the show had even begun.


#2- September was also full of departures. On the 10th anniversary of the group, F(x) members Amber, Victoria and Luna announced that they wouldn't renew their contracts with SM Entertainment, and had decided to pursue their own endeavors with other companies. Baek Yerin parted ways with JYP Entertainment, Sunghyun left IN2IT, and Produce X 101's Wang Junghao went from YG to OUI Entertainment. In Japan, Nishikido Ryo resigned from Kanjani8 and Johnny's & Associates to create his own label, and LDH's Flower announced disbandment.


Actor Song Young Hak passed away on September 24th. He was 46-years old.


(Main sources: hallyuplus.net, soompi.com, k-gen.fr, c-k-jpopnews.fr, @oh_mes2 on Twitter.)



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OCTOBER:
#1- October was another eventful month in the industry, and we'll start with happy news. On the 24th, AlSeulBit announced the upcoming debut of their new girl group Hinapia, comprised of 4 former Pristin members (Minkyung, Kyungwon, Yebin, Eunwoo) and a fresh face, Bada. The five girls performed their song "Drip" for the first time on Show Champion on the 30th. On the 8th, we learned that Produce 101's Kim Sohee had signed an exclusive contract with n.CH Entertainment and joined their girl group, Nature. Later in the month, two former idols, Saem (from RaNia) and Ahreum (from T-ARA) announced their pregnancy, and the latter got married on October 20th. Big Bang's fans finally had reason to rejoice this month -- G-Dragon discharged from the army on the 6th.


#2- Unfortunately, there was also what seemed like an endless barrage of bad news. First, we learned that Kim Sohee's addition to Nature was only due to Gaga's departure (she wanted to focus on her studies in China). On October 18th, it was announced that Heesun had withdrawn from PinkFantasy due to anxiety and depression. On the 23rd, The Boyz announced Hwall's departure from the group -- his leg was too painful for him to perform on stage regularly. On the 28th, Woojin left Stray Kids for personal reasons, and the release of the group's new album "Clé: LEVANTER" was postponed to December. A day later, Jung Da Eun and Han Seo Hee posted on their SNS accounts that Monsta X's Wonho owed them money, and revealed that he had spent time in juvenile detention as a 17-year-old. Starship Entertainment decided to terminate the idol's contract and Wonho left his group on the 31st. Despite fans causing an uproar asking for him to be brought back, Monsta X will now promote as six members. Last but not least, former B.A.P member Zelo announced the termination of his contract with A Entertainment, and we had to see off Infinite's Woohyun, who enlisted in the military on the 24th. The situation wasn't any better in Japan and China. Billie Idle, Q'ulle and LADYBABY all stated that they would disband in within a few months, AKB48's center Yahagi Moeka announced her graduation, and it was time for the members of Nine Percent to part ways, as the group's 18-month contract expired in early October.


Former F(x) member Sulli passed away on October 14. She was 25 years old.



(Main sources: hallyuplus.net, soompi.com, allkpop.com, koreaboo.com, wikipedia.com, onehallyu.com, @oh_mes2 on Twitter.)


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NOVEMBER:

#1- Another scandal broke out in the Kpop industry on November 4th. Wooyeop and Taeseon, two members of TRCNG, sued their company, TS Entertainment, for child abuse and assault (allegedly perpetrated by director Park Sang Hyun and choreographer Yoon, respectively), as well as financial extortion. TS officials were quick to defend themselves, stating that they would in turn take their own legal action against the two idols, who had, at this point also requested contract termination. Even though their claims weren't supported by the other members of the group, Wooyeop and Taeseon's parents wrote a letter explaining their side of the situation, and said they had another one signed by all families. A few days later, the two members contacted Dispatch and provided the tabloid with pictures and details on their living conditions at TRCNG's dorms. All information got posted online on the 19th - on the same day, TS Entertainment announced that the group would now promote as eight instead of ten. On the 20th, Sports World published a report stating that TRCNG's comeback had been postponed multiple times in the past because Wooyeop had been dating a staff member and had missed several rehearsals. The idol's mother responded and refuted those claims, insisting on the fact that TS was facing financial difficulties, and that her son had spent weeks in the hospital because of Yoon's attack. On the 28th, it was revealed that the other members' families would file a lawsuit against Wooyeop, Taeseon and their parents for "trying to create conflict between them and TS Entertainment". The situation is still far from reaching a resolution, so let's see how this case evolves in the following weeks...


#2- In the latter half of the year, the investigation of Produce 101 progressed rapidly. Even more evidence of vote manipulation was uncovered, and it was reported that the producer of the show, Ahn Joon Young, had accepted bribery from agency officials. The man was booked in mid-November, along with Shin Hyung Kwan, the head of MNET. Unfortunately, this information came to light at the worst time for IZ*ONE. The girls, who were supposed to have their comeback with "BLOOM*IZ" on the 11the, saw their promotional activities and television appearances being cancelled -- the release of their album got ultimately postponed. In the end, neither IZ*ONE nor X1 appeared at Awards ceremonies at the end of the year, and members were sent to rest at home. A month later, it was revealed that the entire lineups of the two groups had been decided before the final episodes of the show (i.e, without taking votes into account) and that similar manipulations had also occurred on several occasions during the first and second seasons, most notably in the securing of a Wanna One spot for a contestant who'd been voted out. The producers' lawyers admitted to most of the charges. The police also decided to carry on their investigation of high-ranking officials in regards to the potential rigging of Idol School's. In late December, MNET announced that they would compensate cheated trainees, take reform measures, and avoid broadcasting "audition programs" in the future. They ultimately held a press conference on December 30th, and stated that IZ*ONE and X1 would resume their activities in a few weeks (however, the future of X1 is still being discussed).


#3- As usual, there continued to be newsworthy happenings through the month. Yeonwoo and Taeha left Momoland, and a third member, Daisy, is still discussing her future in the group with MLD Entertainment. CL, and actress Kim Sae Ron parted ways with YG Entertainment, and AKB48's Kashiwagi Yuki revealed that she would be graduating soon. As for Chu☆Oh! Dolly, they announced their disbandment for the end of the year. Lastly a bit of good news: BigBang's Daesung and Taeyang came back from the military.


Former KARA member Goo Hara passed away on November 24th. She was 28 years old.
Actor Godfrey Gao died from cardiac arrest on the set of a Chinese variety show on November 27th. He was 35 years old.



(main sources: soompi.com, @oh_mes2 on Twitter, hallyuplus.com, k-gen.fr, c-k-jpopnews.fr.)


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DECEMBER:
#1- December was not a good month for the female in Kpop, with various instances of mistreatment unfolding right in the public eye. Busters' Chaeyeon, only 15, was hit by comedian Choi Young Soo during the recording of the children's show "Tok! Tok! Boni Hani" on the 10th. Choi defended himself, explaining that he'd just been joking around with her, and Chaeyeon's company released a statement saying the same -- however, neither of these went too far in calming down angry fans. On the 16th, an ISAC staff member was seen pulling on the hair of Loona's Chuu to make her answer during an interview. After her fans took to social media to express their outrage, MBC apologized to the idol, making promises to train their staff properly moving forward. Senior group APink will probably never be seen at KBS's Gayo Daechukje again -- the girls had to calm their fans (and themselves) down after the company asked them to leave the stage mid-performance to broadcast commercials instead. And now, arguably the worst of all: During a rehearsal for SBS' Gayo Daejejeon on December 25th, Red Velvet's Wendy fell from a poorly-secured stage, and injured her face, pelvis and wrist as a result -- suffering from multiple fractures, she was hospitalised immediately. Her activities were obviously put on hold, and Red Velvet will promote as a four-member group for the time being.

After a long year filled with controversy, it seems as though there has developed an atmosphere of exasperation amongst fandom unsatisfied with the treatment of their favourite idols. On December 16th, Blinks protested against YG's negligence of Blackpink's career, demanding at least two comebacks per year, solo projects, promotional activities and award ceremony attendances. The company responded saying that Blackpink was already busy with the last leg of their tour and that there was no negligence on their part. In contrast to this, we also had a few cases where fans made an idol's life worse: on the 6th, a WJSN fansite caused a member of the group, Dayoung, fall during the recording of KBS' Music Bank -- and kept taking pictures when the girl started crying. As a consequence, Starship banned the fans involved from attending the girls' future schedules. After Twice's Nayeon was faced by an obsessed male 'fan', JYP Entertainment announced on the 19th that they have taken heightened security measures to ensure the wellbeing of all the members. Japanese group =ME also revealed that they had been very frightened by a recent encounter with their fans; on the 20th, their company stated that any further misbehaviour from fans would result in an immediate ban on participation in the girls' future activities. Let's hope that other companies will follow these examples and start protecting their idols more effectively.


#2- To finish with the news section, let's recap everything that happened in the entertainment industry this December! The biggest announcement of the month was undoubtedly made by actor Kim Woo Bin, who said that he would soon be returning to activities after beating cancer. It was also revealed a few days ago that TVXQ's Changmin is currently dating a non-celebrity -- the news was quickly confirmed by SM Entertainment. Earlier in the month, girl group Busters welcomed a new member, Jeon Jieun. Former KARA's member Jiyoung reportedly signed an exclusive contract with KeyEast and Yoon Seobin, who had left Produce X 101 and JYP following controversy, joined Sublime Artist Agency. Mirae, Kokoro and Linlin have terminated their contracts with FNC Entertainment and withdrawn from Cherry Bullet, and Lee Hi's departure from YG Entertainment was announced just a few hours ago. Kim Soo Hyun, Song Joong Ki and Kim Ji Won will reportedly leave KeyEast, Blossom Entertainment and King Kong By Starship Entertainment, respectively. Pledis Entertainment announced that Raina and Han Dong Geun have departed from the company (the latter signed a contract with Brand New Music), while Kim Sae Ron and Ye Ji will reportedly be joining Song Joong Ki's newly-created agency. In disbandment news, we saw the end of the boy group MYNAME, the members parted ways after spending 8 years together.
In Japan, Produce 101's winner group "JO1" was revealed on December 11th - Mamehara Issei took the show's first place and got the group's center spot. Minegishi Minami announced her graduation from AKB48, and EGIRLS stated that they would disband in 2020.


Singer and actor Cha In Ha passed away on December 3rd. He was 27 years-old.



(Main sources: hallyuplus.net, n.news.naver.com, soompi.com, wikipedia.com, onehallyu.com, @oh_mes2 and @balloon_wanted on Twitter).


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G

Galaxy

Guest
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BY MIATHEIKONIC


In early December, our team gathered to pick songs that, according to us, best represent 2019. Even though we tried not to just vote for our favorite groups and tracks, and we had a total of 11 voters with very different taste, no such list can be entirely unbiased. In the end, we chose twelve songs (out of a hundred suggestions) for miatheikonic to feature in this article. We hope you will enjoy your selection, and in case your favorite song didn't make it to this list, don't hesitate to promote it in the comments!


#1- CHUNGHA - GOTTA GO (JANUARY 2)
Chungha made sure our 2019 got off to an explosive start, as on January 2nd she released the single "Gotta Go" from her album of the same name. It is different from Chungha's other releases, and it turned all spotlights on her as she proved that a concept that doesn't suit her has not been found yet. She shined in her less girly, bolder, and more mature looks, and her rich vocals were perfect with the sultrier sound. There is a reason she ruled all charts for months after, as we are definitely still not over this release!





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#2- N.FLYING - ROOFTOP (JANUARY 2)
The N.Flying boys couldn't have had a better start to the year with their single "Rooftop". They conquered Korea, entering Melon's Hot 100 and getting their first #1 on the charts since their debut. And deservingly so, as we were all jamming to the powerful guitar riffs and the group's soothing vocals for months. The softer, more colorful concept emphasized N.Flying's well-known vocals, similar to how their darker concepts suit bolder instrumentals. These boys brought us spring in the middle of winter, and this song is still keeping us warm. Did you enjoy this release as much as we did?





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#3- TAEMIN - WANT (FEBRUARY 11)
Sexy, mystic, daring, they are all adjectives we would describe Taemin's solo releases with. "Want" was all that and more, being bolder and more dramatic than what we are used to. It showed us the Taemin we love, a bold soloist that never fears pushing the limits and experimenting with his voice and looks. "Want" is a dramatic synthpop track with a groovy melody that matches Taemin's sultry vocals singing about strong passion. The accompanying music video shows the artist in dark aesthetics and captivating motifs of netting, leather, smoke and snakes. It made us lust for Taemin's releases even more!





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#4- KEYAKIZAKA46 - BLACK SHEEP (MARCH 1)
We have always trusted Keyakizaka46 to bring us bops we will be obsessing over for months. That was also the case with "Black Sheep". The song was included on the group's 8th single album that featured Hirate Yurina as the center. The song and the music video matched, going from both the sound and the scenes being dark and anxious to a cheerful escape into a fun and relaxed mood. As it holds a strong message, we turned to this song when we felt misunderstood and like we didn't have an escape from reality. It's no wonder it reached number one on both Japan Hot 100 and Oricon and stayed on the charts for months, just like it stayed in our minds.





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#5- TAEYEON - FOUR SEASONS (MARCH 22)
The queen of soulful and heartwarming music released her digital album, "Four Seasons", in March. It features the lead track of the same name, which is a beautiful ballad that has owned our hearts since its release. Featuring floral scenery of late spring mixed with aesthetically presented lyrics and a noir-like background movie, the music video was an experience in itself. It emphasized a love story that is powerful and beautiful, but painful at the same time. Nothing could go wrong from that point as Taeyeon owned the digital charts of March, and secured a spot on our playlists for a lot longer.





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#6- TWICE - FANCY (APRIL 22)
The nations' girl group, as Twice is often called, secured its spot on the top with "Fancy". As much as we enjoyed the cutesy, innocent charms of the Twice members, we couldn't stay immune to the mature, sexier, and even darker concept this song offers. It seems like the Korean public and fans agreed with us, as this song ended up being one of best-performing girl group releases of the year." Fancy" kept the group's previous quirky, festive sound while introducing dramatic and dynamic tones that remained in our hearts. Do you still enjoy this release too?





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#7- WEKI MEKI - PICKY PICKY (MAY 12)
We weren't picky picky, so we spent a good part of 2019 streaming Weki Meki's "Picky Picky". The addictive chorus of this song pulled us in whether we wanted it to or not, but we weren't complaining. The girls showed off their adorable charms that suited the colorful, youthful music video well. While still maintaining the refreshing tone from their earlier releases, we were introduced to some more mature vocal colors from the group. We will anticipate seeing their growth in the future, because they will definitely draw us in again like they did with "Picky Picky".





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#8- KENSHI YONEZU - UMA TO SHIKA (SEPTEMBER 2)
Kenshi Yonezu's 10th single, "Horse and Deer", may be the only one he released this year, but it definitely made a big impact on us and on the Japanese public. His unique, raspy voice sounded better than ever in this enticing fusion of a powerful rock anthem and a soothing ballad. It seems like it suited all tastes, as the song stayed on top of Japan Hot 100 and Oricon. We will be anticipating more of the singer's releases, as his distinctive style has become an essential on our playlists!





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#9- THEO/ZHU ZHENGTING - FLIP (SEPTEMBER 23)
We have long been anticipating Theo's, or as he is better known, Zhu Zhengting's, solo work. He made sure we will remember "Flip" for a long time. The beautiful music video, the powerful dance, and his mesmerizing voice all came together to form this release. The music video features long haired Theo performing an astonishing choreography and enjoying beautiful landscapes. His soothing vocals followed the song's intense transitions, and we could feel all the emotions of the singer. We couldn't ask for more in this release!


Note: the MV was released on Oct 10 but song dropped on Sept 23.




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#10- AKDONG MUSICIAN - HOW CAN I LOVE THE HEARTBREAK, YOU'RE THE ONE I LOVE (SEPTEMBER 25)
AKMU's Chanhyuk returned from his military service gloriously! We all waited a long time for these brilliant siblings to be reunited. "How Can I Love The Heartbreak, You're The One I Love" marked their comeback. The song instantly owned our hearts, and, by all standards, Korean hearts as well as it spent months on top of the Korean charts. We were definitely blessed with this soulful, melancholic song!





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#11- TXT - RUN AWAY (OCTOBER 21)
"Run Away" was TXT's first ever comeback since their debut, and they most certainly continued their fast-paced growth. This time around, we saw the boys all by themselves in various settings of their lives, including at school, at a swimming pool, and in the woods, until they meet each other in a meadow. The music follows the story as it starts off softly, growing into an energetic synth pop track once they meet. With lyrics about running away to a land where all problems disappear, the song was magical, enough so to pull us into TXT's dreamland which we still haven't gotten out of!





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#12- EXO - OBSESSION (NOVEMBER 27)
EXO returned as powerful and sexy as ever just a few weeks ago. In 2019 they continued with the darker, mature, and sexy concept we also saw in 2018, but this time it reached a whole new level with "Obsession". The song oozes with the members' confidence as they show off their seductive moves, powerful voices and fiery rapping. We also got to see the alternative versions of the EXO members, so we got to enjoy twice the breathtaking visuals. Each member got to shine and made the song special in his own way. And the chorus? The "I don't think so" is still stuck in our heads!





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G

Galaxy

Guest
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BY NARA

Disclaimer: this portion was written in mid-December. It was impossible for our writer to list all achievements and recap everything with perfect accuracy, so we focused on short lists instead. We would like to apologize if anything important is missing, and encourage you to provide information in the comments section!



BIGGEST ACHIEVERS
The group that had the best year is undoubtedly BTS! Considering their digital and physical sales both domestically and globally, it wasn't a surprise to see them achieve a clean sweep on major award shows, winning Daesangs one after another at MAMA and Melon Music Awards. The group also gained recognition abroad: they became the first K-pop group to receive trophies (three of them!) at the renowned American Music Awards and won in two categories at the Billboard Music Awards. Last but not least, they also didn't leave the Japan Gold Disk Awards ceremony empty-handed, as their Japanese studio album "Face Yourself" also received awards. Seoul Music Awards and Golden Disk Awards will be held next month, so expect to see more upcoming Daesangs!


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NOTABLE AWARD WINNERS
Many other artists also had notable achievements this year, and gained recognition at different award shows:

#1- Rookie groups
TXT and ITZY both received Melon Music Awards (MMA)'s "New Artist of the Year" award and MAMA's "Best New Artist" award!

#2- Chungha received the "Best Dance (Female)" award at MMA and the "Best Dance Performance – Solo" award at MAMA with her hit track "Gotta Go".

#3- MMA's "Best Rock" award went to N.Flying’s "Rooftop".

#4- Taeyeon’s "Four Seasons" won the "Best Ballad" award at MMA and the "Best Vocal Performance - Solo" award at MAMA.

#5- The OST queen Gummy received the "Best OST" award with her track "Remember Me" (from hit drama "Hotel del Luna").

#6- Twice won the "Best Female Group" and "Best Dance Performance – Female Group" awards at MAMA.

#7- Heize was given awards for two of her songs released this year: she won the "Best Hip Hop & Urban Music" award at MAMA for "She’s Fine", and the "Best R&B/Soul" award at MMA for "We Don't Talk Together".



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NOTABLE WINS ON MUSIC SHOWS
#1- The unstoppable group BTS set a new record for the biggest number of music show wins, with 21 trophies for their hit "Boy With Luv"!

#2- Seventeen won 10 trophies for their song "Home", and received their first ever Inkigayo trophy!

#3- ITZY received 9 trophies for "Dalla Dalla", which is the biggest number of wins for a rookie group!

#4- IZ*ONE, Mamamoo and Chungha all took home 7 trophies with their songs "Violeta", "Gogobebe" and "Gotta Go", respectively, and Gfriend won 6 trophies with "Sunrise"!

#5- Red Velvet’s "Zimzalabim" and NU'EST’s "Love Me" both snatched 5 wins on music shows!

#6- WJSN won 4 trophies with "Boogie Up" and received their very first trophies on M! Countdown and Show Champion! They also set a record on The Show by receiving over 4 million votes in Starpass!


There was quite a number of rookie groups and soloists who won their first music show trophy in a record time:

#1- CIX became the second fastest rookie group to win their first music show ever (7 days since debut) with "Movie Star"!

#2- 8 days after their debut, TXT had their first win with "Crown"!

#3- ITZY earned their first win with their debut song "Dalla Dalla" 9 days after debut!

#4- AB6IX won their first trophy with "Breathe" 13 days after debut!

#5- Soloists also set records, with Park Ji Hoon, Kang Daniel, Kim Jae Hwan, and Ha Sung Woon all receiving their first trophies within 14 days of debut.


2019 was also notable with some rather experienced groups and soloists earning their first music show wins.
They finally gained recognition for their songs, so congratulations to all!


#1- Chungha finally earned her well-deserved first win ever with "Gotta Go", 581 days since debut!

#2- Victon took their first win ever in November with their song "Nostalgic Night", 3 years after debut!

#3- N.Flying took their first ever victory with "Rooftop", 1385 days after debut!

#4- CLC had their first ever win with "No" at The Show, after more than 4 years of activity.

#5- In their third year Astro had their first win ever with 'All Night"!

#6- Jung Sewoon finally won his first trophy at The Show. He has come a long way since placing #12 in Produce 101 Season 2 in 2017!

#7- Golden Child achieved their first-ever music show win 851 days after their debut with "Wannabe"!



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BIGGEST ALBUM SALES
#1- Once more, this recap starts with BTS, as the group sold over 6 million copies of their two albums released in 2019. 'Map of the Soul: Persona’ is the best selling album of the year with over 3.6 million copies sold, and is the first album to be awarded a Triple Million Certification from Gaon. As for their OST album "BTS World: Original Soundtrack", it was the first OST album to receive a 2x Gaon Platinum Certification (1 certification = 250K in sales)!

#2- Seventeen sold over 1.4 million albums total this year and became the third K-pop act to sell over 800K copies with their studio album "An Ode"! "You Made My Dawn" also received a Platinum Certification!

#3- Representing girl groups, Twice sold over 1.1 million albums in 2019! Their two EPs "Feel Special" and "Fancy You" both received Gaon Platinum Certifications with 400K+ and 390K+ sales, respectively! They have also surpassed 8 million albums overall from both their Korean and Japanese releases!

#4- X1’s debut mini album "Quantum Leap" received a 2x Gaon Platinum Certification and went on to sell over 636K copies!

#5- EXO sold over 563K copies with "Obsession", according to a Gaon update posted last month. We’re expecting more sales with this month's numbers soon!

#6- Baekhyun’s debut EP "City Lights" and Kang Daniel's first solo mini album "Color On Me" both received 2x Gaon Platinum Certifications for selling over 500K copies!

#7- Super Junior's "Time Slip" surpassed 250K in sales in 5 days, and went on to receive a Gaon Platinum Certification with over 427K copies sold!

#8- Blackpink’s mini album 'Kill This Love’ sold over 315K copies, received a Gaon Platinum Certification, and is the best selling album by a group under YG Entertainment!

#9- More albums that received Platinum certifications are Monsta X's '"We Are Here" (the first ever for the group!), GOT7’s "Spinning Top" and "Call My Name", NCT 127’s "We Are Superhuman", NCT Dream’s "We Boom", EXO-SC’s "What a Life", IZ*ONE’s "Heart*Iz", and NU'EST’s "Happily Ever After"!

#10- Some rookie groups also found success in 2019. TXT sold almost 200K copies of both of their two albums released this year, "The Dream Chapter: Star" and "The Dream Chapter: Magic". AB6IX sold over 166K copies of their debut album 'B:COMPLETE’. CIX's "Hello Chapter 1: Hello Stranger" reached 72K in sales. As for ITZY, their debut album, 'It’z Icy’ sold over 119K copies!

#11- Mamamoo's "Reality in Black" was the group's first album to reach 100K in sales!


Check out this chart thread to see 2019's top Gaon sales per artist!

#1- Notable Japanese releases that received RIAJ Certifications include BTS’ Japanese single "Lights/Boy with Luv", which sold over a million copies - they became the first foreign male act to receive the RIAJ 1 million certification! IZ*ONE’s Japanese single "Buenos Aires" sold almost 200K copies in its first week, and then went on to receive a RIAJ Platinum Certification for over 250K sales!


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PERFECT ALL KILLS
There are six songs this year that achieved a Perfect All Kill (PAK). To get a PAK, a song needs to hit #1 on all major charts including Melon, Genie, Bugs, Soribada, Flo, and Instiz. Having a Perfect All Kill is extremely hard, so let’s congratulate the artists and their songs!

#1- BTS’ "Boy With Luv" took over the charts and was the first song of 2019 to achieve a Perfect All Kill. It is the group’s second PAK after "Fake Love" in 2018!

#2- BOL4’s "Workaholic" was the second song this year to get a PAK when it rose to the top of the charts in September!

#3- AKMU’s "How Can I Love the Heartbreak, You’re the One I Love" hit #1 immediately after its release in October! It is the duo’s first comeback since Chanhyuk completed his military service.

#4- MC Mong’s "Fame", featuring Song Ga In and Chancellor, climbed to the top when it was released in late October!

#5- IU achieved PAKs with two songs from her EP "Love Poem": the first one with her pre-release track "Love Poem", and the second one with her title track "Blueming"!




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NOTABLE YOUTUBE MILESTONES
#1- The music videos that reached 600 million views in 2019 are Blackpink’s "Kill This Love" (686 million) and BTS’ "Boy With Luv" (647 million). Both songs were released this year, so it's quite an achievement!

#2- The list of music videos that hit over 100 million views in 2019 includes Twice’s "Fancy" (which reached over 200 million) and "Feel Special", and ITZY’s "Dalla Dalla" and "Icy"!

#3- Even reaching 10 million views is a huge achievement for many groups; congratulations to Oneus' "Twilight" and fromis_9's "Fun" for their well-deserved Youtube milestones!

#4- Several groups reached notable milestones with songs released before 2019. Blackpink's "Ddu Du Ddu Du" hit 1 billion views, BTS' "DNA" became the first music video by a Korean boy group to reach 850 million views, and (G)I-DLE's "Hann" and NCT U's "Boss" both topped 100 million views.



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OTHERS
#1- Check out the best-selling K-pop groups digital-wise in 2019 here!

#2- Bugs Music released their top 100 annual ranking!

#3- To find the list of the most downloaded songs in the first half of the year, you can click here! The annual Gaon download chart will be released next month.

#4- If you want to check out the list of 2019's highest unique listeners on MelOn during the first 24 hours, you can follow
this link!


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G

Galaxy

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If you post a lot on the forum, you know that our Social Media Team is always looking out for interesting threads to share on the forum's Twitter account! Since June, many users have already been awarded a trophy for 25 selected threads (or more), and we have decided to reward them again.

Congratulations to:
@Aeri_Panda, @AshithBangera, @BlueNose, @ByulHarangBona, @Chomiczewska, @demasta, @davidguy, @jin, @Kimbo, @kimsguardian, @meltrosz, @miatheikonic, @MicrowavedTea, @Nara, @OutroTearTheFirst, @Rektinq, @Riri, @ScarletRose, @speedthief, @UMJI MOODS, @yooamygirls and @カカロット!


You all win:
- A special trophy called "2019: BEST CONTRIBUTOR (MOST TWEETED THREADS)", along with 1000 trophy points
- A stamp for you to display your achievement! It will be given to you asap and will last until January 31st:


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Thank you very much for your huge contribution to the life of the forum. As for others, we hope you won't feel left out! Whether you are a lurker, a casual poster or a big contributor, we are thankful for each and every user of the forum, and we're already anticipating interacting with you more in the future!




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On the behalf of the entire staff, all Teams' Leads wrote messages for the users of the forum!


Awards Team: Hey there Hallyu+ users! We Awards Team would like to thank you all for showing your continuous support for the forum and its badges! We are really glad and happy that you are enjoying them so far; we’ll try to improve more in the future to bring you even more beautiful and cute badges. Happy holidays and see you all on 2020!

Events Team: Hey guys! On behalf of the entire Events Team, we wish you a Happy Hallyu New Year! We wish to thank everyone who participated in all the events and games we hosted in 2019. Seeing all of you happy and enjoying everything we planned really made our days! I hope the new year allows us to bring you even more wonderful events that you will enjoy and hold dear to your heart!

Graphics Team: It’s 2020! To celebrate the new year, the GFX would like to thank you all for all your kind words & appreciation towards our work. We are very happy to know that you’re enjoying the events on the forum that include our touch in it. See you all in the upcoming events!

Moderators: Hello people of Hallyu+! The moderating team would like to wish you a happy new year! Thank you for helping us keep this community fun, welcoming & fresh. There’s only this much the mods can do to keep the peace, and a lot of it is thanks to you all. Can’t wait to keep assisting you in the upcoming year as well!

Shop+ Team: Shop+ thanks all of its users for adding so many great items this past year. We will work harder to get even more added for you! We really hope you enjoy the new year and beyond with us at Hallyu+!


SM Team - Press Division: The team would like to thank everyone for the love and support you have been giving us since we started posting on the forum. Even though we aren't professional writers/proofreaders, and are just here to share our passion for Asian Entertainment with you all, it's amazing to see our hard work being appreciated. We are thankful for every reaction and comment you leave in our threads, and for the time you spend reading our articles. Happy New Year everyone!

SM Team - SNS Division: We would like to thank all the users who gave us wonderful threads to tweet and all of our tweeters who worked hard every day to feature as many of our users as they can. In 2020, we aim to cover many more topics to tweet and feature many more of our other users on the forum!

Translations Team: Happy New Year Hallyu+ users! The Translations team would like to thank everyone for the support we received in 2019. We're thankful for all the interest and appreciation towards the work we do, and we hope to grow even more in 2020, perhaps with some exciting new projects!




And... you have finally reached the end of this article! We would like to thank you for you clicking on this thread and spending a little bit of your time with us. We're preparing more surprises for you, and they are coming very soon, so anticipate and keep an eye on our Social Media section ;)

Before you close the tab, please leave a comment below - our writers (miatheikonic, Nara and Galaxy), proofreaders (Timingil, Vivi and rosey) and graphic designer (yerimmie) spent weeks preparing this article, and everyone would like to get your feedback! We hope you'll have a good time celebrating the arrival of the New Year. Happy 2020 everyone!


 
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tokki

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yesss miss fancy and picky picky getting the recognition they deserve

thanks for your hard work everybody! 2019 was a wild and frustrating year at times but hopefully 2020 will be a lot better
 

UMJI MOODS

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Wow! So fabulous! You went far above and beyond with all this. Especially recapping the first half of the year before Hallyuplus was in operation must have been a big chore. Thank you for so much hard work here and for all the weeks you have recapped these last months.
👑❤​
 

Frandae

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Picky Picky nation let's rise :shablob:

Now in all seriousness tho; thank you so much for this; I know how much you all worked for it and you did amazing! Thanks for always updating us about the Asian Entertainment Industry with so much detail and effort.

Here's to more amazing articles on 2020! (But please don't overwork yourselves or else :onggun:) ♥
 
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rosie

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Thank you so much team, for continually updating us on events that have taken place throughout the year. You guys really did go out with a BANG in the last ICYMI of 2019! I'll look forward to discovering some things I've missed out on this year while reading this ❤❤
 

Happy

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This is AMAZING! Great article!

Thank you so much for your hard work.:heartpar:
 
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Seriously

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oof, great article guys.... but 2019 really was a rough one huh :vaderecto:



"There was quite a number of rookie groups and soloists who won their first music show trophy in a record time:"
If it ain't a damn Dreamcatcher win at long last, it don't matter :JudgyDubu: 2019 failed me, 2020 you're up...
 
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