KPOP 4 Planet delivers 8000+ albums at HYBE’s HQ to raise awareness about climate change

On April 22, KPOP 4 Planet posted photos and videos demanding action for a greener K-pop outside the HYBE headquarters, among other talent agencies. Some of the activists dressed up as bees to attract more attention to the alarming decrease in bees' population, which is reported to impact the Earth negatively.

The rally was in tandem with the activists' celebration of Earth Day. Their campaign focused on demanding a change in the K-pop industry's plastic usage, especially in the production of physical albums.

For the campaign, they asked fans to donate their unused albums to solidify their stance on K-pop fans wanting a more sustainable industry. They wanted to set an example to entertainment companies that fans want the industry to provide alternates and try to decrease the excessive amount of production.

The group visited not only HYBE but also other talent agencies to raise awareness.

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KPOP 4 Planet activists campaign outside HYBE headquarters demanding change in the industry

As part of their Earth Day campaign, KPOP 4 Planet, a fan-driven organization, collected and delivered thousands of albums from fans that were of no use or unused, back to entertainment companies. It aims to raise awareness among K-pop fans about the harmful effects of the industry.

The organization urged fans to "stan" sustainably and demanded agencies approach a way that would reduce plastic and paper usage.

Some KPOP 4 Planet activists dressed as bees and danced to K-pop songs outside HYBE headquarters. They also installed certain artworks made from more than 8,000 albums donated by fans. They also held banners to gain attention.

The organization’s main message was “Art should not end up here,” referring to the albums ending up in the trash. The campaign is part of their umbrella campaign, No KPOP on a Dead Planet, which they launched in the summer of last year. Lee Da-yeon, one of the activists who coordinated the South Korean KPOP 4 Planet campaign, said:

“K-pop fans have already voiced their desire for sustainability in the industry. The climate crisis is getting worse and worse, and the industry must do its part in reducing its environmental impacts.”

Physical album sales are a big deal in the K-pop industry. Although the songs are available for listening for free online, physical albums provide collectible goodies for fans.

More so, the glamor of these collectibles - such as rare, ordinary, and undisclosed photocards, postcards - results in fans bulk-buying and, eventually, bulk-production.

KPOP 4 Planet reportedly stated that out of the 57+ million physical album sales in the K-pop industry last year, 15.23 million copies were from HYBE’s artists alone. They want entertainment agencies to take note of the growing climate issues and provide fans with sustainable options, such as choosing to buy an album physically or online and reducing plastic waste.

The activists have sent albums to other agencies too, such as YG Entertainment, CUBE Entertainment, SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, among many others, to put their points across.

Meanwhile, some agencies and groups are going for sustainability as well. H1GHR MUSIC’s JAY B’s debut solo album SOLO: FUME has ecological and recycled packaging, IST Entertainment’s VICTON gave fans an alternate version of Chronography where fans will only be delivering photocards, also called as "photocard album" by them.

The K-pop industry is taking small strides into ecological packaging, but KPOP 4 Planet aims to put more emphasis on transforming it into a greener industry.