BLACKPINK Receives South Korea’s Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit

BLACKPINK received the Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit at the 17th Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards in Seoul. The award is the fourth class of South Korea’s Order of Cultural Merit and recognizes the group’s role in promoting Korean popular culture around the world. The honor arrives as BLACKPINK approaches its 10th year since debuting in August 2016.

The group’s milestones include becoming the first K-pop girl group to reach million-seller status with The Album, and topping both the Billboard 200 and the UK Official Albums Chart with Born Pink. Its Born Pink World Tour ran from October 2022 to September 2023, with 66 shows across 23 regions and about 1.82 million attendees. Touring Data reported revenue of $331.8 million. In February 2026, the group’s YouTube channel passed 100 million subscribers and 42.9 billion total views.

BLACKPINK also became the first female K-pop act to perform at Coachella in 2019 and the first Asian act to headline the festival in 2023. In 2023, members Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa received MBEs for their work raising awareness of climate change. The source also notes the group’s 2026 Deadline tour and its Wembley Stadium headline show, described as a first for a K-pop girl group.