BLACKPINK has received the Ok-gwan (Jade) Order of Cultural Merit, a first for a K-pop girl group.
According to YG ENTERTAINMENT on October 30, BLACKPINK was selected as the recipient of the Ok-gwan Order of Cultural Merit during the award ceremony of the “17th Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards”, which was held on October 29 at the Haeoreum Theater of the National Theater of Korea in Jung-gu, Seoul.
Organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and supervised by the Korea Creative Content Agency, the “Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards” constitute the highest government distinction in the field of popular culture arts. Candidates are selected through a public call and expert recommendations, and the grade of the decoration is determined by an overall examination of the duration of their contribution, their achievements, and their social contribution.
The Ok-gwan Order of Cultural Merit is a 4th-class cultural decoration, and it is the first time that a K-pop girl group receives it. BLACKPINK was highly evaluated for its contribution to the spread of the Hallyu wave by being active on the global stage through its group and solo activities.
Regarding this, BLACKPINK shared their impressions: “We are happy and honored to receive such a meaningful Order of Cultural Merit”, adding: “We sincerely thank the public who has loved our music for so long as well as BLINK (fandom name) who always supports us by our side. We will strive to be artists who convey comfort and emotion with good music in the future as well.”
Meanwhile, BLACKPINK’s 3rd mini-album, “DEADLINE”, set a new all-time record for first-week sales by a K-pop girl group (1,774,577 copies according to Hanteo Chart).
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: SNS BLACKPINK
