BLACKPINK Members Receive South Korea's Okgwan Cultural Merit Medals in First for a K-pop Girl Group

Four Members Honoured in BLACKPINK's 10th Anniversary Year

All four members of BLACKPINK received South Korea's Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit at the 2026 Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards on October 29, becoming the first K-pop girl group whose entire membership has received the distinction. Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa were recognised for spreading Korean popular culture internationally through their work together and as solo artists.

The ceremony took place at the Haeoreum Grand Theater of the National Theater of Korea in central Seoul. Organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency, the 17th edition recognised 36 individuals and groups across music, television, film, theatre and other entertainment fields.

BLACKPINK's medals arrived in the year marking a decade since the group's debut in 2016. Their recognition placed a globally successful girl group alongside figures whose careers span several decades, including broadcaster Yoo Jae-suk, voice actress Park Young-nam and jazz musician Shin Kwan-woong.

The four members were unable to attend because of overseas commitments connected with album activities. An agency representative accepted the award certificate from Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young, while the members conveyed their thanks through a prerecorded video and a statement released by YG Entertainment.

What the Okgwan Medal Means

The Okgwan Order, also translated as the Jade Crown Order, is the fourth of five classes within South Korea's Order of Cultural Merit. It is a national cultural decoration, separate from the presidential, prime ministerial and ministerial commendations presented at the same ceremony.

The awards recognise contributions to the development of popular culture and the standing of people working in the industry. Candidates are put forward through public nominations and recommendations from specialists. Their length of service, professional achievements and contributions to society are considered when deciding the honours.

BLACKPINK's recognition covered both the group's collective career and the members' individual activities in the global music market. The stated basis was their contribution to the international spread of the Korean Wave, a term for the growing overseas audience for Korean entertainment and culture.

The 36 honours comprised 10 Order of Cultural Merit recipients, seven Presidential Commendations, eight Prime Minister's Commendations and 11 commendations from the culture minister. BLACKPINK's four members accounted for four of the 10 cultural merit recipients, or 40 percent of that category.

BLACKPINK Thanks Fans and Promises More Music

YG Entertainment announced the recognition on October 30. In the agency's statement, BLACKPINK's members thanked the public and BLINK, the name of their fan community, for supporting their music.

We are delighted and honoured to receive this meaningful Order of Cultural Merit.

We sincerely thank the public for loving our music for so long and our fandom, BLINK, for always supporting us by our side,

The members also described what they hoped to bring listeners through their future work. BLACKPINK said in the same statement:

We'll continue working to become artists who bring comfort and inspiration through good music.

The message connected the government honour with the audience behind the group's career. While the medals recognised cultural contributions, the members used their response to focus on the people listening to their songs and supporting their activities over the past decade.

The Records Behind the Recognition

BLACKPINK's international reach includes success on album charts in both the United States and Britain. In 2022, their second studio album, BORN PINK, became the first album by an Asian female artist to reach No. 1 on both the US Billboard 200 and the UK Official Albums Chart.

The Billboard 200 ranks albums in the United States, while the Official Albums Chart measures album popularity in Britain. Reaching the top of both charts gave the group a leading position in two major music markets during the same release campaign.

In February 2026, BLACKPINK became the first musical act to reach 100 million YouTube subscribers. Their third mini album, DEADLINE, sold 1,774,577 copies in its first week, setting a record for the opening week of a K-pop girl group's album.

The figures describe different parts of the group's audience. YouTube subscriptions reflect the scale of its online following, while the DEADLINE figure counts album copies sold during a specific period. Together with the US and UK chart achievements, they show how BLACKPINK's music has reached listeners through videos, streaming and album purchases.

The group's catalogue includes Whistle, Playing with Fire, DDU-DU DDU-DU, Pink Venom and Shut Down. The award citation recognised their work as a group and as individuals rather than singling out one song or release.

A Decade Leading to the October Ceremony

BLACKPINK's recognition followed a series of milestones across its first 10 years. The main dates trace the move from a debuting act to a group receiving national cultural decorations.

• 2016: BLACKPINK debuted with Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa.
• 2022: BORN PINK reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 and the UK Official Albums Chart.
• February 2026: BLACKPINK became the first musical act to reach 100 million YouTube subscribers.
• October 29, 2026: All four members received the Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit at the National Theater of Korea.
• October 30, 2026: YG Entertainment released the group's response thanking listeners and fans.

The ceremony brought those commercial and audience milestones into a different setting: a government awards programme that also recognised Korean rock, jazz, radio, animation and live performance. BLACKPINK's international success was one part of a broader celebration of the people who make and sustain popular culture.

Shin Hae-chul and Yoo Jae-suk Lead Other Cultural Honours

The late singer Shin Hae-chul received the Eungwan, or Silver Crown, Order of Cultural Merit posthumously. Shin, who died in 2014, was recognised for helping popularise Korean rock through experimental music and his work with bands including N.EX.T.

Shin's career began with a grand prize at the 1988 MBC Campus Song Festival. His award linked the ceremony's recognition of current global stars with the work of musicians who helped expand the range of Korean popular music in earlier decades.

Yoo Jae-suk received the Bogwan, or Precious Crown, Order of Cultural Merit for a broadcasting career spanning more than 30 years. Known for programmes including Running Man and Infinite Challenge, Yoo was one of five recipients in that class.

The other Bogwan recipients were singer Han Young-ae, performing arts producer Park Myung-sung, voice actress Park Young-nam and jazz musician Shin Kwan-woong. Han was recognised in the year of her 50th debut anniversary, while Shin's work in jazz spans more than half a century.

Park Myung-sung's career includes bringing musicals such as Mamma Mia! and Chicago to Korean stages. Park Young-nam is known for voicing characters in Dooly the Little Dinosaur and Crayon Shin-chan. Their inclusion recognised work that audiences encounter in theatres and animation as well as on concert stages.

Presidential Honours Span Rock, Pop and Film

Super Junior and the rock band Boohwal were among seven recipients of Presidential Commendations. Super Junior's international popularity includes the success of Sorry, Sorry, while Boohwal was recognised after more than 40 years in Korean rock.

Music director Kang Seung-won also received a Presidential Commendation after 36 years leading music programmes. His inclusion placed the people shaping televised musical performances alongside the performers themselves.

Actors So Ji-sub, Yoo Hae-jin and Ryu Seung-ryong received the same honour, as did film director Jang Hang-jun. Yoo has appeared in five films attracting at least 10 million cinema admissions in South Korea, and Ryu has appeared in four.

That measure counts cinema visits rather than revenue. It offers a concrete way to describe the scale of their film careers: each has repeatedly appeared in productions that drew audiences numbering in the tens of millions across several releases.

Actors, Radio and Pansori Receive Recognition

Kim Go-eun, Oh Jung-se and the sibling music duo AKMU were among eight recipients of Prime Minister's Commendations. Actor Yoo Seung-mok and filmmaker Yoon Ga-eun, whose work includes The World of Us, were also honoured.

Broadcaster Bae Mi-hyang received the commendation after more than 25 years hosting Bae Mi-hyang's Evening Sketch. Her recognition reflected the place of long running radio programmes in the awards alongside film, television and popular music.

Performer Lee Ja-ram and composer Lee Jae completed the category. Lee Ja-ram works in pansori and musical theatre. Pansori is a Korean form of musical storytelling in which a singer performs an extended narrative with a drummer.

The range within this category was broad: a radio host maintaining a relationship with listeners over decades, actors working across film and television, a director recognised at international festivals, and musicians using different forms of performance. The awards treated those careers as distinct contributions to the same cultural sector.

ENHYPEN and NMIXX Among Ministerial Recipients

ENHYPEN and NMIXX received commendations from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. They were among 11 recipients in the category, bringing another generation of K-pop performers into the ceremony alongside BLACKPINK and Super Junior.

Actors Lim Ji-yeon, Park Ji-hoon, Choi Dae-hoon and Yoon Kyung-ho also received ministerial commendations. Lim's credits include The Glory, while Park was recognised following his portrayal of King Danjong in The King's Warden.

Comedians Kim Shin-young and Kim Won-hun, choreographer Lee Jung, film producer Jang Won-seok and singer Jang Min-ho completed the list. Jang Min-ho's popularity grew through Mr. Trot, while the inclusion of choreography and production recognised work involved in creating performances and films.

Across the ceremony, the honours connected BLACKPINK's global reach with a wider network of cultural work: the voices behind animated characters, the people producing stage shows, radio hosts, filmmakers and performers. For the four BLACKPINK members, the immediate change was individual national recognition for a shared decade of music and their separate careers.

Key Points

• Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa each received the Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit on October 29, 2026.
• BLACKPINK became the first K-pop girl group whose entire membership received the distinction.
• The ceremony at Seoul's National Theater of Korea recognised 36 individuals and groups.
• The Okgwan Order is the fourth of five classes in South Korea's Order of Cultural Merit.
• Shin Hae-chul received the Eungwan Order posthumously, while Yoo Jae-suk was among five Bogwan recipients.
• BLACKPINK thanked the public and BLINK and pledged to continue making music that brings comfort and inspiration.