SEVENTEEN - JEONGHAN, WONWOO
The group SEVENTEEN has been recognized by the state for its outstanding contributions.
SEVENTEEN (S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, The8, Mingyu, DK, Seungkwan, Vernon, Dino) received the presidential medal on October 23 at the 2025 Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards ceremony held at the National Theater of Korea in Jung-gu, Seoul.
Due to their military service, members JEONGHAN and WONWOO attended the ceremony on behalf of the group, currently on their North American world tour. Their attendance was made possible through coordination with the Military Manpower Administration and the relevant ministries.
JEONGHAN and WONWOO stated:
“Receiving a presidential medal for our tenth anniversary is a tremendous honor and recognition. We thank everyone working in the Kpop industry and culture. We will continue to promote Kpop and contribute to the development of popular culture.”
The Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards is the highest government distinction awarded to artists and organizations that contribute to the global dissemination of Korean content and the development of the cultural industry. SEVENTEEN had previously received the Prime Minister’s Award in 2020 and has now been honored with the Presidential Award five years later.
Since its debut in 2015, SEVENTEEN has set major records in Korean popular music, including the highest number of album sales for a single Kpop album with “FML”, its tenth mini-album, selling 6.27 million copies.
They have also elevated Kpop internationally, becoming the first Kpop act to perform on the main stage at the Glastonbury Festival in the UK and headlining Lollapalooza Berlin in Germany and Tecate Pa’l Norte in Mexico.
The group has also made a mark through social contributions. Last year, SEVENTEEN was named the first UNESCO Youth Goodwill Ambassador and donated one million dollars to establish the Global Youth Grant Scheme. In August, they donated the proceeds from the charity sale “JOOPITER presents: sacai x SEVENTEEN” to UNESCO in celebration of World Youth Day.
For their tenth anniversary this year, the members of SEVENTEEN continue to expand Kpop’s global influence through various activities. The group was included in the “A100” list of the 100 most influential Asians selected by Gold House and now has two voting members in the Recording Academy (Woozi and Vernon). In May, they released their fifth studio album “HAPPY BURSTDAY”, and in September, they began a new world tour, “NEW_”.
Currently, SEVENTEEN is continuing the North American leg of their world tour “NEW_”.
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: SNS SEVENTEEN
