CULTURAL INSIGHT

[Anchor Lead]

Today's TADA Korea is about Kang Daniel's album sales, and the release of a popular Japanese animation film being postponed in Korea. Singer Kang Daniel has recently set a record for his initial album sales in the first week or release, with more than 340,000 copies being sold in just one day. This and more on today's cultural news.

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Singer Kang Daniel has set a record for first-week initial album sales, which serve as a barometer of a music album's success. Kang's debut solo album "Color On Me," which hit record stores on July 29, recorded sales of some 340,000 copies in just one day. On day three, the accrued number of sold copies surpassed 400,000. According to the album chart website hanteochart.com, Kang's initial sales are the highest among male and female solo artists thus far. In overall album sales for 2019, Kang's album ranked second. The singer recently held autograph sessions nationwide to mark the release of his debut album, wrapping up in Seoul last Saturday. As anti-Japanese sentiment continues to escalate in Korea due to Japan's trade retaliation, the opening of a popular Japanese animation film has been postponed. "Doraemon: Nobita's Chronicle of the Moon Exploration" was originally slated for an August 14 release, but its premiere and opening have now been cancelled. The film's production team said the decision stems from the current negative sentiment in Korean society, and that the new release date has not been set yet. Many understand this to mean that the film's opening has been pushed back indefinitely. Another factor is the lower-than-expected popularity of another animation film, "Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire," which opened on July 24, but failed to appeal to audiences despite having a regular fan base. Observers say other Japanese movies such as "Jesus" and a new film from Japanese director Makoto Shinkai will also be unable to avoid the impact of the Boycott Japan movement if the trade row between Korea and Japan continues.