At a memorial for the late Jeon Yoo-seong, G-Dragon also attended as the K-Pop Cultural Arts Awards elevated the status of K-Culture once again.
On the 23rd, the "16th Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards 2025" was held at the National Theater of Korea in Jangchung-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul.
The "Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards" is a government award established to honor the contributions of popular culture artists and to inspire creative motivation. This year, six individuals received the Cultural Order, while seven teams received the President’s Commendation, eight teams received the Prime Minister’s Commendation, and ten teams received the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Commendation.
The President’s Commendation was awarded to Kim Mi-kyeong, Lee Jung-eun, Lee Min-ho, TVXQ, SEVENTEEN, Kim Eun-young, and BLACKPINK’s Rosé, while the Cultural Order was awarded to Big Bang’s G-Dragon, the late Jeon Yoo-seong, and voice actor Bae Han-seong.
G-Dragon was recognized with the Cultural Order for his contributions to spreading the K-pop wave worldwide as a member of Big Bang. This award is significant as it is the first Cultural Order awarded to an idol singer by the government, and the highest grade of cultural order since BTS received the Crown Cultural Order in 2018. Bae Han-seong received the award for his contributions to the development of radio and voice acting, while Jeon Yoo-seong was recognized for laying the groundwork for Korean comedy culture.
Particularly, a time was dedicated to remembering the late Jeon Yoo-seong at the event. Jeon Yoo-seong left a significant mark on the history of Korean popular culture by bringing laughter to the public through his constant new attempts as a comedian. Choi Hwi-young, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, expressed, "We would like to remember the late Jeon Yoo-seong, who left us in September. His legacy of providing laughter for decades and paving the way for junior artists is the history of Korean popular culture." A video of his final interview was also shown during the awards ceremony, resonating deeply with all attendees.
The Silver Cultural Order was awarded to Kim Hae-sook, while the Bronze Cultural Order was awarded to Lee Byung-hun and Jeong Dong-hwan. Kim Hae-sook was recognized for receiving national love for many years, while Lee Byung-hun and Jeong Dong-hwan were acknowledged for elevating the quality of Korean culture and arts through their films and profound performances, respectively. Jeong Dong-hwan reflected on his connection to the late Jeon Yoo-seong during his acceptance speech, sharing heartfelt thoughts.
The 2025 Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards concluded as a meaningful event honoring the contributions of artists from various fields and wishing for the continued development of Korean popular culture.