'Arirang' becomes first K-pop album to go platinum in Italy

BTS's fifth studio album, “Arirang,” was awarded platinum status by Federation of the Italian Music Industry on Monday, its label Big Hit Music said Tuesday.

This is the first time ever a K-pop album received the certification in the country. The septet has five albums that earned “gold” in Italy: “Love Yourself ‘Answer,’” “Map of the Soul: Persona,” “Map of the Soul: 7,” “Be,” and “Proof.”

The fifth LP has spent 32 weeks on the Billboard 200, ranking No. 57 on the chart dated Nov. 7, after debuting atop the main albums chart. It also topped the Official UK Albums Chart Top 100 as well as the iTunes Top Albums Chart in 88 regions.

Separately, the seven members concluded the South American leg of their world tour, titled after the album, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Oct. 31. The five-city sold-out trip drew 853,000 concertgoers.

They are slated to resume the tour with a three-night show in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, from Nov. 19. It will be followed by shows in Bangkok, Thailand, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Singapore and Jakarta, Indonesia. The live performances from the concerts in Kaohsiung and Jakarta will be livestreamed in cinemas in more than 80 regions.