"Do You Know BTS Sup?"... Hangang Project Headquarters Strengthens 'Star Sup'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government's Hangang Project Headquarters announced on the 2nd that, anticipating an increase in donations from fan clubs of Hallyu stars due to the growing global popularity of Korean culture, they plan to actively support the creation of a 10,000㎡ "Star Forest" at Nanji Hangang Park starting this spring.

The "Star Forest," where trees are planted in the name of stars, has been established in a total of nine Hangang parks since 2019. In the case of the BTS Forest, donations were collected from fans worldwide to commemorate each member's birthday, and to date, about 3,900 trees have been planted, making the Hangang parks greener.

The Seoul Environmental Federation, which has been involved in creating the Hangang Park "Star Forest," stated, "Fans are voluntarily donating and taking action inspired by the positive influence of stars who emphasize the need for climate justice, with the mindset that 'just as stars are unique, the one and only Earth cannot be replaced.'"

The Hangang Project Headquarters agrees that the "Star Forest" represents a fan culture that practices positive influence through environmental conservation and climate change response, and plans to actively support the creation of Star Forests to help this fan culture spread further.

In particular, they have decided to allocate about 10,000㎡ of land at Nanji Hangang Park so that the Star Forests, which have been created on a small scale in various parts of Hangang parks until now, can be established on a large scale in one location.

Additionally, when planting donated trees, support will be provided not only for the selection and arrangement of tree species but also for the installation of facilities desired by fans, such as forest information boards, nameplates of stars, foot and hand prints, and life-size cutouts.

Juyongtae, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Hangang Project Headquarters, said, "We will support the creation of various Star Forests at Nanji Hangang Park, inspired by the positive influence of Hallyu stars in music, film, sports, and other fields." He added, "We hope the Hangang Star Forest will help raise awareness and promote action on the climate crisis, as well as become a must-visit course for domestic and international tourists."