October 29, 2026 | K-POP News
All four members of BLACKPINK — ROSÉ, LISA, JENNIE and JISOO — have been named recipients of South Korea’s Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit. The country’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced the honors on October 29 as part of the 17th Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards.
The announcement lands in a significant year for the group. BLACKPINK debuted in 2016 and marks its tenth anniversary in 2026. This time, the national recognition names each of the four women individually, acknowledging the contributions they have made to the international reach of Korean popular music.
A national honor for all four members
The Okgwan distinction, often rendered in English as the Jade Crown Order of Cultural Merit, is a national decoration for contributions to culture and the arts. It is not a music-chart trophy or a fan-voted award. It forms part of a government honors system recognizing long-term achievements and their wider cultural impact.
For BLACKPINK, the decision recognizes more than one album cycle. Since debuting a decade ago, the group has become one of K-pop’s best-known international acts, taking its music to audiences across continents. The four members have also pursued individual careers while remaining publicly associated with BLACKPINK.
There is an important distinction in the wording: ROSÉ, LISA, JENNIE and JISOO are each named as Okgwan honorees. The ministry’s list does not describe a single medal given only to BLACKPINK as a collective.
Shin Hae-chul, Yoo Jae-suk and Super Junior are also recognized
The awards extend far beyond K-pop. Late rock musician Shin Hae-chul was named for the Eungwan (Silver Crown) Order of Cultural Merit, honoring his influence on the development of Korean rock music. Entertainer Yoo Jae-suk and singer Han Young-ae are among the recipients of the Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit.
Veteran idol group SUPER JUNIOR is on the list for a Presidential Commendation, alongside other figures from music, film and the performing arts. Those are different forms of recognition: the Presidential Commendation should not be described as the same decoration as BLACKPINK’s Okgwan Order.
How the 2026 honors were organized
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency selected 36 individuals and groups across four award categories. Ten people were named for the Order of Cultural Merit, while seven individuals or groups received Presidential Commendations, eight received Prime Minister’s Commendations and eleven were chosen for ministerial commendations.
The ceremony was scheduled for October 29 at the National Theater of Korea’s Haeoreum Theater in Seoul. The official announcement identifies the honorees, but it does not by itself confirm that every recipient attended the ceremony in person. That distinction matters when photographs or social-media clips from the event begin circulating.
Why this recognition matters for BLACKPINK
BLACKPINK’s global popularity has long been measured through concerts, streaming numbers and international headlines. A state cultural decoration acknowledges a different kind of legacy: the group’s role in taking Korean popular music to listeners around the world.
It also brings the four members into the same national honors story after years of individual projects. Their careers may follow different paths, but the October 29 announcement recognizes the impact they have made under the BLACKPINK name and as artists in their own right.
Sources and artist profiles
Official announcement: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism — 17th Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards, October 29, 2026.
Additional reporting: Yonhap News Agency — BLACKPINK and Shin Hae-chul named cultural merit honorees.
Explore BLACKPINK’s A–Z group profile and the members’ profiles: ROSÉ · LISA · JENNIE · JISOO.