Entertainment News

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K-pop girl group Twice is proving its popularity with their new hit song, not just in Korea but in japan as well. This and more on today's entertainment news

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K-pop girl group Twice has again proven its popularity in Japan. Twice has topped Japan's Oricon weekly and digital album charts with its mini album "Yes or Yes" released this month. The feat is more impressive, since the songs were performed in Korean, not Japanese. This marks the first time Twice has topped a Japanese music chart with a Korean-language album. In addition, Twice has become the first Korean girl group to perform in Japanese broadcaster NHK's annual year-end song festival for a second consecutive year. Japanese media recently reported that Korean musicians would unlikely appear in this year's NHK song festival amid mounting diplomatic tension between Seoul and Tokyo over the South Korean Supreme Court's recent ruling ordering a leading Japanese steel maker to compensate Korean people who were forced into labor during World War Two. However, NHK has dispelled the speculations by announcing Wednesday a list of performers in the song festival, which includes Twice. Data show that the sales of essay books have significantly increased this year. An online book store said that from January to November fifth, the sales of essays grew 1.7 times, compared to the same period last year. Bookstores explain that the essay books are popular, since they offer consolation, empathy and an insight into life in a not-so-heavy way. The publishing industry attributed the trend to the spread of the Me Too movement as well as people's pursuit to focus on their inner selves and find small but fulfilling happiness in everyday life.