ILLIT has secured their first win for "It's Me" on Music Core, adding to a busy week of K-pop achievements across the music show circuit.

The victory comes as the group continues building momentum with their latest release. Meanwhile, other major acts delivered standout performances on the show, including aespa, TREASURE, and AKMU, keeping the competition fierce across Korea's music programs.

This win arrives just days after aespa missed the top spot on M Countdown last week—but the group has little reason to worry about the domestic trophy drought. Their summer single "Lemonade" is generating serious international heat, particularly in the UK where the group just achieved a historic milestone: their first-ever entry on the Official Singles Chart. It's a significant breakthrough for aespa's global reach, proving that their appeal extends far beyond Korea.

The contrast between domestic and international success is notable. While Korean music shows award trophies based on Korean listeners and chart positions, aespa's "Lemonade" demonstrates the group's widening appeal among Western audiences—something that doesn't always translate to immediate domestic wins but reflects genuine global momentum.

For ILLIT, the Music Core victory validates their recent comeback strategy with "It's Me," and the group joins a growing list of artists taking home trophies this chart cycle. The competitive landscape remains crowded with TREASURE and other acts also performing strongly, but ILLIT's first win marks an important checkpoint in their career trajectory.

These developments highlight how K-pop success increasingly operates on multiple fronts: domestic music show wins remain culturally important for Korean artists, but international chart performance has become equally—if not more—valuable for groups looking to establish global presence. aespa's UK chart entry and ILLIT's domestic trophy show both paths are worth pursuing.

Fans can expect continued performances from these groups and others on upcoming episodes of Music Core and fellow music shows as the summer promotion cycle heats up.