It is the first album sung predominantly in a language other than English to top the Billboard 200 in 12 years. It coincides with furious diplomatic efforts to denuclearise the Korean peninsula, though the band’s devoted fans – known as the “army” – were unlikely to have been motivated by that to buy the album. Korean pop, or K-pop, groups are known for droves of devoted fans, with scenes reminiscent of Beatlemania of the 1960s when band members are spotted on the street. The South Korean government has also emphasised promoting K-pop around the world in its cultural policies. News of the success of the new album lit up Twitter and the Korean hashtag #LYTear1onBB200 announcing the milestone was used more than a million times.

Source: The Guardian May 28, 2018 03:11 UTC