BLACKPINK Becomes First K-Pop Girl Group to Receive the Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit

Honored for helping spread the Korean Wave as they mark their 10th debut anniversary

BLACKPINK. Courtesy of YG Entertainment.

YG Entertainment, the group’s agency, announced on October 30 that BLACKPINK had become the first K-pop girl group to receive the Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit at the 17th Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards, held on October 29.

The ceremony was held at the Haeoreum Grand Theater of the National Theater of Korea in Jung-gu, Seoul. Lee Byungyoung, a director at YG Entertainment, accepted the medal on BLACKPINK’s behalf. Celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, BLACKPINK were recognized for promoting Korean popular music around the world through their group activities and the members’ solo careers.

The Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit is the fourth class of the Order of Cultural Merit. Hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized by the Korea Creative Content Agency, the Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards are government honors given to individuals and groups who have contributed to the development of popular culture and the arts. Candidates are selected through public nominations and recommendations from experts, and assessed on their career histories, achievements at home and abroad, and contributions to society.

BLACKPINK said, "We are delighted and honored to receive this meaningful Order of Cultural Merit. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has loved our music for so long and to BLINK, our fandom, for always supporting us." They added, "We will continue to strive to be artists who bring comfort and inspiration through our music."

In 2022, BLACKPINK topped both the Billboard 200, Billboard’s main albums chart in the United States, and the UK Official Albums Chart with their second full-length album, "BORN PINK." They became the first Asian female act to top both charts simultaneously. In February 2026, they became the first music artists in the world to surpass 100 million subscribers on their YouTube channel.

Their third mini-album, "DEADLINE," released this year, sold 1,774,577 copies in its first week, setting a record for the highest first-week sales by a K-pop girl group, according to Hanteo Chart. From July 2025 to January 2026, they also completed their "DEADLINE" world tour, performing 33 shows in 16 cities worldwide.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.