BTS in upcycled suits, Blackpink’s climate change video: K-pop starts to go green, but it can use its leverage to be a global leader, observer says
- BTS wore eco-friendly suits to the United Nations, Victon put out a digital-only album, and music awards organisers handed out eco-friendly water bottles
- These are small steps compared to what K-pop could do if it leverages its influence to be a global leader on sustainability, an expert on the music scene says
By Dong Sun-hwa
The 11th Gaon Chart Music Awards, held in Seoul, South Korea, on January 27, were unlike any other awards ceremonies in one respect – organiser the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) ran an environmental campaign during the event by handing out eco-friendly paper water bottles to all performers and the audience in a bid to cut back on single-use plastics.
“From this year onwards, we will spare no effort to tackle environmental issues in cooperation with record labels, fans and the government,” Choi said.
“The K-pop industry is ruminating on different ways to reach environmental, social and corporate governance [ESG] goals and promote sustainability for the future generation.
“In the case of the KMCA, we are planning to embed environmental messages in all of our events.”
As of today, the K-pop industry is still at a nascent stage in pursuing eco-friendliness, with numerous mainly K-pop fans demanding industry insiders pour more efforts into saving the earth.