Singer-songwriter and producer Park Jin-young (J.Y. Park), co-chair of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee, has introduced the concept of a “fandom industry” as the key to ensuring the long-term sustainability of K-pop.
Speaking at a press conference for the 2027 Phenomenon Initiative held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, Park said the project had been prepared “passionately and intensively over the past 10 months.”
Before outlining the initiative, he explained that the committee’s primary goal was to find ways to keep K-pop and Korean culture sustainable for generations to come.
“We wanted to figure out how K-pop and K-culture can remain influential for as long as possible,” Park said. “The goal is to make them valuable tools for future generations and lasting sources of national strength.”
Park argued that K-pop should be viewed as a fandom-driven industry, rather than simply a music business.
“If we define K-pop as a fandom industry and become the global leader in that field, it can remain one of Korea’s greatest strengths for a much longer time.”
‘Phenomenon Awards’ to Celebrate the World’s Hottest Fandoms
To put this vision into action, Park introduced the Phenomenon Awards, a new international awards ceremony that will shift the spotlight away from album sales and streaming numbers.
Instead, the awards will recognize the world’s most passionate fan communities.
According to Park, organizers are developing new evaluation metrics instead of relying on traditional fan voting systems.
Each year, the awards will select the Top 10 fandoms worldwide, before naming the No. 1 fandom of the year.
“We’ll analyze which fandoms showed the greatest passion each December and present awards based on objective indicators,” Park explained.
Global Artists and K-Culture Expansion
Park also revealed plans to invite some of the world’s biggest music stars to perform at future events.
“We want to bring together the world’s top artists and attract audiences from around the globe,” he said.
He identified three major pillars of the initiative:
- Phenomenon Awards
- Global K-Culture Festivals in major cities worldwide
- K-Culture Centers to be established in key international cities
Park added that all three projects are currently being developed simultaneously.
KOREA FBI Editor’s Comment
Park Jin-young believes the future of K-pop isn’t just about hit songs—it’s about the power of fandom. If successful, the Phenomenon Awards could become the world’s first major event dedicated to celebrating fan communities themselves, highlighting the people who help make K-pop a global cultural phenomenon.
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