BLACKPINK and Director Jeong Isaak Selected as '100 Most Influential Asians'

Girl group BLACKPINK and director Lee Isaac Chung, who directed "Minari," were selected as one of the "100 Most Influential Asians" by Gold House. (Photo by Gold House)

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] K-pop group BLACKPINK, K-pop fandom, and director Lee Isaac Chung of the film 'Minari' have been selected as '100 Most Influential Asians.'

According to the nonprofit organization Gold House on the 7th, BLACKPINK, the K-pop fandom, and director Chung were recently named on the list of '100 Most Influential Asians.' Gold House is a nonprofit organization that protects Asian identity and supports diversity in the cultural sector.

BLACKPINK, which has emerged as a leading K-pop girl group, has recently gained explosive popularity on YouTube. Their YouTube channel has about 60.8 million subscribers, ranking second among singers worldwide. They are closely following first place Justin Bieber (63.1 million subscribers). Gold House stated, "BLACKPINK is the highest-ranking Korean female group on the Billboard Hot 100," adding, "'Ice Cream,' released in 2020, recently reached 13th place on the Billboard Hot 100, breaking the all-time record for K-pop girl groups."

Director Chung swept major awards at various overseas ceremonies with 'Minari.' The film was nominated in six categories at this year's Academy Awards. Youn Yuh-jung also became the first Korean actor to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for this film. Gold House highlighted these achievements of director Chung and introduced his major filmography.

Notably, the K-pop fandom included in the social activism category caught attention in this list. Gold House reported that the K-pop fandom has a significant influence on social and political activities. They commented, "The K-pop fandom practices social good through the power of digital platforms," and "They are adept at using the internet, from fundraising for charitable activities to rapidly spreading key issues."