K-Pop fans urge cultural decarbonization at COP30

At COP30, taking place in Belém, Brazil, K-Pop fans are voicing calls for decarbonization in the cultural sector. The environmental group K-Pop for Planet, which uses K-Pop to address climate change, said on the 19th that it hosted a panel on K-Pop fans’ climate action in COP30’s Blue Zone on the 18th local time. In the keynote, Lee Gyu-tak, a professor at George Mason University Korea, stated that K-Pop’s global success has shifted public perception of idol fans, and that idol fandoms are actively participating in charitable donations, fundraising, and environmental protection efforts to build a positive image of idols and fans. A co-founder of the BTS fan-led environmental group ARMY Help the Planet said BTS’s willingness to take on major issues inspired people to take action, illustrating the idols’ influence. BTS had previously undertaken various activities for future generations, including giving a climate-change advocacy speech at the United Nations General Assembly in 2021 as a special envoy. Lee Da-yeon, a campaigner for K-Pop for Planet, said that K-Pop fans are mostly a justice-minded generation, and that they have emerged as a powerful climate action force through cross-border solidarity and persistence. She added that decarbonizing cultural sectors, such as low-carbon concerts, will have a strong cultural ripple effect beyond simply reducing greenhouse gas emissions, urging the entertainment industry to take proactive steps.