20 November 2025 — In the second week of the COP30 Climate Summit in Belém, Brazil, climate activism led by K-pop fans—including large fan communities from Indonesia—took center stage and captured international attention.
On Tuesday (18/11) local time, Dayeon Lee, campaigner for KPOP4PLANET, spoke as a panelist at the Entertainment and Culture Pavilion in the Blue Zone. Hosted by the Korea Cultural Center Brazil, the session carried the theme “K-pop Fans for Climate Action.”
The panel was attended and supported by notable government representatives, including Kim Sung-hwan, South Korea’s Minister of Climate, Energy, and Environment, and Vinicius Gurtler of Brazil’s Ministry of Culture, who also co-chairs the Group of Friends for Culture-Based Climate Action (GFCBCA)—a UN-affiliated coalition promoting climate action through culture.
K-pop Fans as Climate Champions
During her presentation, Dayeon emphasized that K-pop fans have long been engaging in climate action and driving collective change. She highlighted the example of Indonesian fans who raised Rp 1.4 billion in donations for victims of the 2021 natural disasters in South Kalimantan and West Sulawesi—one of the most remarkable acts of fan-driven solidarity in the region.
Dayeon also showcased KPOP4PLANET’s campaigns pushing global companies such as Hyundai Motor Company and Kering toward stronger transitions to renewable energy.“K-pop fans are a future generation that understands justice. Their extraordinary solidarity and unique persistence have made them powerful climate activists,” Dayeon said.
ARMY, BTS Fans, and Wider Fan Activism
The session also featured Marliana Faciroli, co-director of ARMY Help The Planet—the first and largest BTS environmental fan movement based in Brazil. Marliana shared various initiatives the group has led, including the 2019 “ARMY for the Amazon” campaign supporting wildfire relief efforts.“We’re inspired by BTS’s active involvement in important issues—and we take action because of it,” Marliana shared.
Further perspectives came from Gyutag Lee, Professor at George Mason University Korea, and Cheulhong Kim, Director of the Korea Cultural Center Brazil. Both highlighted how K-pop’s global rise has fueled a new wave of fan-led activism aimed at creating positive international impact. Thalia Silva, a member of the Youth Climate Champion Advisory Committee for the COP30 Presidency, also joined the session.
K-pop Carbon Hunters: Fans Pushing for Low-Carbon Concerts
To close the panel, Dayeon introduced the “K-pop Carbon Hunters” campaign by KPOP4PLANET—an initiative inspired by the hit Korean series K-pop Demon Hunters. More than 4,000 fans are now urging the K-pop industry to align its global influence with concrete climate action, including low-carbon concert production and measurable emission reductions.
A Decade After the Paris Agreement
COP30 in Brazil marks 10 years since the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015, making climate commitments from cultural industries—such as K-pop—more critical than ever. Stakeholders in the K-pop ecosystem are being encouraged to elevate their climate ambitions and collaborate to keep global warming below 1.5°C.“As COP30 unfolds, we need the support of governments, industries, and consumers to take bold action—not empty promises,” Dayeon emphasized.“Decarbonizing cultural sectors, including low-carbon K-pop concerts, helps reduce carbon emissions and carries strong cultural influence,” she added.
About KPOP4PLANET
Founded in 2021, KPOP4PLANET is a climate movement created for and by K-pop fans who care deeply about the Earth and the idols they love.
Leave a Reply