Play in this article ↓BLACKPINK’s Four Members Receive Korea’s Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit in Their 10th Year
Published:
- Category: News
- Artist: BLACKPINK
KPOP NO1 Editorial · Sources checked October 29, 2026
Ten years after their debut, all four members of BLACKPINK are being honored by the Korean government. On October 29, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that ROSÉ, LISA, JENNIE and JISOO will each receive the Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit at this year’s Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards. Here’s what the ministry said, and where to start if the news sends you back to the music.
What’s confirmed
- The honor: the Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit goes to all four members, ROSÉ, LISA, JENNIE and JISOO. The ministry calls BLACKPINK a K-pop group “marking its 10th anniversary.”
- The awards: the 17th Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards, held with the Korea Creative Content Agency. Started in 2010, it is the government’s top honor for popular culture.
- The ceremony: October 29 at 6 p.m. KST, at the National Theater of Korea’s Haeoreum Theater in Seoul.
- 36 winners in total: 10 Orders of Cultural Merit, 7 presidential commendations, 8 prime minister’s commendations and 11 minister’s commendations.
- Video: the ministry says footage of the ceremony will be shared on the awards’ official social media after the event.
Why the ministry chose BLACKPINK
The press release gives three reasons. BLACKPINK reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 and the UK Official Albums Chart. In February 2026, they became the first music act in the world to pass 100 million YouTube subscribers. And each member’s solo work has carried Korean culture further around the world.
That last point matters. The ministry isn’t only honoring the group. It names each member and credits their individual careers too. JISOO, for one, has ADDICTED coming out on October 30 (our JISOO news).
BLACKPINK weren’t the only K-pop winners. The same release lists a presidential commendation for SUPER JUNIOR, and minister’s commendations for NMIXX and ENHYPEN.
Our take: Cultural honors in Korea often go to artists with decades of work behind them. This year’s list runs from the late Shin Hae-chul to a group celebrating ten years. Seeing BLACKPINK on the same list shows how far the ministry now looks at K-pop’s global reach.
Ten years, from SQUARE ONE
To see the decade the ministry is honoring, start at the beginning. YG Entertainment lists SQUARE ONE, BLACKPINK’s first single album, on August 8, 2016. It had two songs: WHISTLE and BOOMBAYAH.
From there, YG’s discography is a clear timeline:
- 2018: first mini album, SQUARE UP
- 2019: second mini album, KILL THIS LOVE
- 2020: first full album, THE ALBUM
- 2022: second full album, BORN PINK, with the title track Shut Down
- 2026: third mini album, DEADLINE, on February 27
YG describes BORN PINK as eight tracks led by Shut Down, and the start of a run “from a pre-released song to a full album and a world tour.” Our BORN PINK guide covers that era.
The live history behind the honor
The ministry points to BLACKPINK’s global fandom, and the tours are where that shows most. YG’s concert history lists five:
- 2018 arena tour
- 2018–2020 IN YOUR AREA world tour
- 2021 livestream concert, THE SHOW
- 2022–2023 BORN PINK world tour
- 2025–2026 DEADLINE world tour
Our take: If you only have time for one video, try Shut Down. It’s the title track of BORN PINK, the album YG ties to the group’s second world tour.
Where to go next
- New to BLACKPINK? Our BLACKPINK starter guide introduces the four members and where to start.
- The newest album: the DEADLINE guide.
- More BLACKPINK: all BLACKPINK articles.