The Korea Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, as well as the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, the Korea Communications Commission, the Korea Creative Content Agency, and others, launched the Newsis K-Expo in 2019. The event honours cultural figures, corporations, and individuals who have made significant contributions to the expansion of the Korean wave.
This year, significant prizes were presented to K-pop groups Seventeen, Oh My Girl, LOONA, and KINGDOM for their contributions to the Hallyu, Korean wave. These K-pop stars received prizes in the Hallyu Culture Daesang category at the event.
‘Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Award’ and ‘Seoul Mayor Award’ were given to Seventeen and LOONA. The ‘Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Award,’ which is considered the highest honour, is awarded to the celebrity who has done the most to promote Korean culture across the world. In 2019, BTS, together with TWICE and Junsu, won the inaugural Hallyu Cultural Daesang.
Seventeen said after winning the prize, “Receiving such a significant medal is an honor. We will strive even harder to promote Hallyu and become the Seventeen who can transmit great influence to everyone, despite the fact that we have earned such a prestigious prize.”
At the occasion, LOONA was also granted the greatest honor. The twelve members took the stage together and gave their acceptance speeches. According to LOONA, “Thank you for include LOONA at this important gathering. Thank you for such a wonderful award; I feel it will be the impetus for us to end the year well.”
Oh, My Girl, together with actor Park Ki Woong, received the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee Award at this occasion. Oh, My Girl has been slowly climbing the charts, topping both Korean and international music charts. Oh, My Girl expressed their thanks in their acceptance speech, saying, “You bestowed such a prestigious honor onto us. We’ll put in greater effort for the Hallyu Wave.”
In addition, the ‘Next Generation Hallyu Star Award’ was awarded to the rookie boy group KINGDOM, who has been garnering increasing international exposure.
