HYBE Tops 2023 ‘Environmental Pollution of the Year’ Rankings Due to Excessive Album Promotion

2024 Sustainable K-pop Awards Highlight Environmental Concerns in the Industry

The 2024 Sustainable K-pop Awards, organized by Kpop4Planet—a collective of dedicated K-pop fans addressing the climate crisis—has revealed that HYBE has been designated as the recipient of the “Environmental Pollution of the Year” award. This recognition stems from the company’s aggressive album marketing strategies, which have been criticized for exacerbating environmental issues.

Kpop4Planet elaborated on the reasons behind this award, noting that entertainment companies often use tactics that incentivize fans to buy multiple physical albums. These tactics may include bundling entry tickets for fan meetings, offering unique photo cards, and launching various album cover designs to boost initial sales figures during the first week post-release.

Interestingly, despite the growing trend of music consumption through digital platforms, the sale of physical K-pop albums has shown an upward trend. This phenomenon raises concerns regarding the sustainability of marketing practices in the industry, as highlighted by Kpop4Planet, which observed, “Even though the culture of listening to music online has become established, the physical album sales in K-pop have actually been increasing.”

On a more optimistic note, HYBE also received commendation for their initiative titled “Let’s Go for Eco-Friendly Fan Meetings in the New Year.” This initiative signifies a potential shift toward more sustainable practices within the K-pop industry, demonstrating a willingness to embrace environmentally friendly approaches.

The awards were determined through an extensive survey involving over 10,040 K-pop fans worldwide. In terms of the rankings for environmental impact, YG Entertainment, SM Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment secured the second to fourth positions in both the “Environmental Pollution”and “Eco-Friendly Initiatives”categories. The online survey, which garnered significant participation, was conducted from November 16 to December 17 of the previous year.

In a ceremonial event held this morning in front of HYBE’s headquarters in Yongsan, Seoul, Kpop4Planet held a performance to present the awards, including trophies designed to resemble popular K-pop lightsticks. These lightsticks are not only emblematic of fan unity but also signify a broader community striving for positive change.

Kpop4Planet articulated the deeper meaning behind these lightstick trophies, stating, “The lightstick, a symbol of K-pop’s unique unity and positive influence, has long been an important item for fans, symbolizing ‘a light that never goes out.’ We will continue our campaign with fans using the lightstick as a sign of our determination to stop the environmentally harmful practice of multiple album purchases by entertainment agencies.”

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