It most definitely does. Screenshot: Blackpink/YouTubeOnce once more, Okay-pop followers show themselves among the many most lively activists. This time, round 10,000 of them from 83 completely different international locations are calling for Korean music firms to do their half in combating local weather change. As ABS CBN Information explains, Okay-pop followers are recognized for purchasing a number of copies of albums in hopes of profitable an opportunity to attend a “fan indicators” or autograph classes with their favourite stars. This technique helps push up bodily album gross sales, however can result in extra environmental waste. Ditto for all the plastic merchandise that’s churned out for live shows. These practices are main some Okay-pop stans to marvel if there’s a higher solution to specific their fandom. The Korea Occasions studies that the followers are asking for the businesses to make live performance excursions extra eco-friendly and to not use plastic for albums and merchandise. On Monday, the “Sustainable Okay-Leisure” convention was held on the Nationwide Meeting in Seoul. “At present, there are greater than 100 million Okay-pop followers throughout the globe and Okay-pop’s cultural clout is rising on daily basis,” mentioned Okay-pop environmental activist Lee Da-yeon, who delivered a message on behalf of the ten,000 Okay-pop followers. “Contemplating its large affect, Okay-pop must be extra accountable in tackling international points like local weather change, and the file labels like HYBE, SM Leisure, and YG Leisure ought to take heed to the voices of the followers who’re asking them to hitch the inexperienced motion for future generations,” Lee added. “There will probably be no Okay-pop on a useless planet.” Glorious factors on all accords. Lee, who is part of local weather change activist group Kpop4Planet, outlined a collection of adjustments throughout her presentation. “The businesses can first scale back the usage of plastic when producing their singers’ albums and merchandise,” she mentioned. “There are lots of methods they’ll restrict their carbon footprint through the live shows, too. Within the case of singers, they could launch songs about the necessity to go local weather constructive or participate in local weather motion packages.”Through the symposium, Professor Cedarbough Saeji of Pusan Nationwide College recommended that phasing out plastic glow sticks would assist make live shows extra inexperienced, as would renovating older venues to scale back heating and cooling. One other chance could be banning single-use plastic bottles.There have already been preliminary endeavors at making Okay-pop extra sustainable. In February, singer Chungha launched an environmental-friendly bodily model of her album Querencia. “It’s a sizzling subject these days, so we needed to provide the album made with environmentally pleasant papers,” mentioned Chungha (through SCMP). “We additionally tried to reduce the usage of lamination and different pointless plastics, aside from photograph playing cards, one thing crucial for our followers.” The album wasn’t packaged in a plastic jewel case, and the field and booklet weren’t laminated to chop down on plastic. As Koreaboo notes, different stars have been getting on the act: Crimson Velvet had been named South Korea’s public relations ambassadors for the Nationwide Local weather Council, and Blackpink (pictured above) spoke in regards to the perils of local weather change for the United Nations local weather change convention COP26.“Holding a carbon-neutral live performance with out deteriorating its high quality seems to be the important thing to the problem,” mentioned Cho Han-kyu, vp of Kakao M Leisure. “I believe we’d like extra in-depth discussions with our firm officers and the artists to determine how we are able to attain such a objective.”