Lee Jae, the star of 'Golden', has achieved his dream. He reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 'Hot 100' chart, turning an impossible goal into reality.

On the 14th, Lee Jae left a message on social media. "After giving up on my dream of being a K-pop idol and choosing the path of a songwriter, my dream has been to write a song that charts on the 'Hot 100'," he began.

He continued, "To achieve No. 1 seemed impossible. I am grateful to everyone who made this dream possible. I also want to thank those who have sent so much love and support to my movies and music."

He also conveyed his gratitude to his Korean fans. "Thank you for giving me so much love in Korea. And thank you for helping me realize my dream. I promise to bring you even better songs in the future."

'Golden' rose to No. 1 on the main single chart 'Hot 100' on the 12th (Korea time). It surpassed the long-reigning 'Ordinary' by American singer-songwriter Alec Warren, which had been at the top since June.

This marks the ninth No. 1 for a K-pop related song, following six tracks by BTS, including 'Dynamite', as well as Jimin's solo song 'Like Crazy' and Jungkook's solo track 'Seven'.

'Golden' is a song by the virtual girl group Huntress from Netflix's 'K-Pop Demon Hunters'. Teddy and 24 from 'The Black Label' participated in the production. The song features vocals by Lee Jae, Audrey Nun, and Rae Ami.

Lee Jae is a former trainee from SM Entertainment. He prepared while shuttling between the US and Korea but was unable to debut. He later transitioned to songwriting, contributing to tracks like Red Velvet's 'Psycho' and aespa's 'Savagery'.

<Photo source: Lee Jae SNS>