Haha and Ji Seok Jin’s ‘APT.’ Banter: Did They Really Help Make BLACKPINK a Global Phenomenon?

TV personalities Haha and Ji Seok Jin recently made waves with their playful comments about BLACKPINK’s Rosé and her new track, “APT.” On Sunday, Haha and his wife, singer Byul, appeared on Jeeseokjin World, where they engaged in a lighthearted chat with Ji Seok Jin.

During the conversation, Ji Seok Jin noted, “K-pop has really exploded internationally.” Haha added, “Rosé’s ‘APT.’ dominates streaming charts worldwide. We haven’t seen a K-pop mega-hit like this since Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style.'” Ji then shared that they had actually played the drinking game Apartment on their popular variety show Running Man.

In a humorous moment, Haha claimed, “Actually, we’re the ones who made it big,” referring to the Apartment game. “We created the game, so we deserve some credit,” he quipped, causing everyone to laugh. His wife, Byul, raised a playful concern, warning, “That could be controversial.” But Haha was undeterred, jokingly adding, “We also made actor Park Seo Joon famous. Don’t you think he knows that?”

The banter continued as Ji Seok Jin teased, “We raised BLACKPINK too.” Haha responded, “Their name was originally just Black. We added Pink when they appeared on Running Man.” He then joked, “Seok Jin and Jae Suk are the real ones who raised them.” Without missing a beat, Ji deadpanned, “That’s true,” which had everyone laughing out loud.

In related news, Billboard reported on November 4 that Rosé’s duet with pop star Bruno Mars, “APT,” has topped both the Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) and Global 200 charts for two consecutive weeks. The song, a pre-release single from Rosé’s highly anticipated debut solo album, has been making waves worldwide.

“APT” is inspired by a popular Korean drinking game of the same name. Its infectious, upbeat sound is complemented by Bruno Mars’s collaboration. The track has already surpassed 200 million global streams, marking the first song to achieve this milestone since September 2020. Rosé shared that she initially had reservations about writing a song based on a drinking game, even asking the production team to delete it from their phones. However, the team quickly became hooked on the song’s catchy tune.

Rosé first debuted as a member of the globally renowned K-pop girl group BLACKPINK in 2016. Since then, the group has become one of the biggest K-pop acts worldwide, and Rosé has made her mark as a solo artist with the release of “APT.”