K-Pop Industry Faces Period of Reflection Amidst Airport Fan Outbursts, Excessive Awards Shows, and Discussions on Low-Carbon Transition

As the K-Pop industry continues to grow globally, several structural challenges within the sector have emerged simultaneously—namely safety issues caused by excessive fan culture, the overabundance of awards shows, and the need for a low-carbon transition. Airport fan outbursts are currently under heavy criticism. When a new group arrived, dozens of fans crowded into narrow corridors and pushed aggressively, causing an airline crew member to fall and get injured. The video of this incident received over 2 million views on social media before being removed. Online, there was strong backlash with comments such as “Is it really acceptable for flight crew members not to be able to pass through the corridors?” and “I can’t understand why people push like that.” Some called for stronger action from companies, noting that HYBE had recently issued warnings about airport etiquette yet such incidents still occurred. Industry analysts are questioning whether companies should implement stricter travel protocols or restrict fan gatherings as new groups use airport appearances to increase public awareness. The issue of too many K-Pop awards shows is also a major concern in the industry. There are dozens of awards ceremonies ending in letters like MAMA, MMA, GDA, SMA, and KGMA. With a continuous stream of events from late fall through early spring, fans struggle to distinguish between them. MAMA (Mnet Asian Music Awards), the largest K-Pop awards show globally, originated as a music video festival in 1999, expanded to Southeast Asia in 2009 to become more international, and continues to maintain its status by being held in the United States and Japan in 2024. However, the sheer number of awards shows in Korea makes it unclear which award represents the highest honor. Experts are asking whether the increasing number of trophies is diluting the value of these awards. The environmental responsibilities of the K-Pop industry are also beginning to be seriously discussed. Live performances account for 73% of the music industry’s carbon emissions in the UK as of 2007, making them a major source of emissions. Abroad, major artists such as Coldplay and Billie Eilish are promoting low-carbon concerts through the use of renewable energy, reduced single-use items, and encouragement to use public transportation. Yet this trend has not yet taken root fully in K-Pop. On December 2, K-Pop Planet and the National Assembly will hold a forum titled “Discussion on Carbon Neutrality Guidelines for Concerts and Events to Standardize Low-Carbon K-Pop Concerts.” A campaigner from K-Pop Planet will present an analysis of the ESG reports of five major Korean K-Pop entertainment companies and release results from a survey on low-carbon concert awareness conducted among 600 global fans. An executive from the Music Sustainability Association (MSA) plans to introduce cases from abroad, such as Billie Eilish’s “Overheated” project and those by Coldplay and Massive Attack, emphasizing that low-carbon concerts contribute not only to climate action but also to strengthening industry competitiveness. The forum is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and co-hosted by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee of the National Assembly. As K-Pop assumes its role as a global cultural leader, it has reached a point where it must address simultaneously three key challenges: improving fan culture, rationalizing the structure of awards shows, and fulfilling environmental responsibilities.