On April 18, 2026, in the heart of Jakarta, the usual high-octane energy of a K-pop gathering took on a profound new dimension. At the PE5TA WARGI K-POP event, celebrating five years of the climate organization Kpop4Planet, K-pop fans gathered to demand a future where their idols—and fans—can thrive. The day had a clear message: fans are a force for good. They push corporations to do better. They also use creativity to heal. And they fight for the planet, not just the music.
The “Serious” Confrontation: Exposing the Coal Beneath the Nickel Funded by Hana Bank
The day began with an eye-opening talk show titled “No K-pop on a Dead Planet: K-Pop Fans’ Action to Stop Hana Bank’s Financing of Fossil Fuels.” Experts, advocates, and K-pop fans peeled back the layers of Hana Bank’s financial ties to environmental destruction.
Why This Project Is Targeting Hana Bank?
The bank pledged to stop financing coal in 2021. But in 2022, it broke that promise. It gave US$84 million to the Harita Group. The money funded a nickel project on Obi Island. That project depends heavily on new coal-fired power plants.
The data presented by Binbin Mariana of Market Forces was chilling. Harita’s carbon emissions nearly tripled in two years, reaching 10.87 megatons in 2024.
“This amount is equivalent to almost 1% of Indonesia’s total emissions and is like driving 2.5 million fossil-fuel cars for one year.”
Binbin Mariana, Market Forces.
For the fans, this isn’t just a statistic. It’s a betrayal of the green image the bank projects through its K-pop collaborations.
Nurul Sarifah, a campaigner for Kpop4Planet, expressed the collective frustration regarding the bank’s vague responses to their concerns:
“Hana Bank’s increasingly naive response shows that they are not serious about finding solutions and showing real action.”
Nurul Sarifah, Kpop4Planet.
What Fandoms Have Done to the Society
One of the speakers at the talk show was Nunik, the leader of My Day and eaj’s community movement. She showed attendees the real work their community has done.
In K-pop fandoms, it is common to celebrate idols’ birthdays in a big and meaningful way. The community My Day Jars Social Project, led by Nunik, is no different. On eaj’s birthday, they distribute fresh fish to people in need and plant coral reefs. This is inspired by their idol, who loves fishing and often shares his catch with those in need.
Cinta, from the Zerobaseone fandom, added that sometimes fans can inspire their idols. But most of the time, it is the idols who inspire fans to do good for society. It goes both ways. And, that is one of the beautiful things about being a K-pop fan.
From Advocacy to Art: Healing “Album Guilt” Through Creation
After the serious talk show about coal and the climate finished, the event changed into a hands-on activity where fans worked together. Instead of just listening to data, they began a creative workshop to reuse old K-pop albums.
The event transitioned into a creative reuse workshop led by Kelas Meraki, focusing on a struggle many K-pop fans know intimately: “album guilt.”
Nuha, a Kpop4Planet campaigner, shared her personal turning point. Back in 2021, she realized the environmental cost of bulk-buying albums just to win fan-sign events. Fans don’t actually need the dozens of albums they buy. If the albums don’t guarantee a win, they often end up thrown away.
Seeing high-quality photography and design work destined for the trash felt like a waste of the creative process. And it is clearly hurting the environment too.
“I felt guilty… I thought, ‘what happens to these albums?'” she recalled, noting that many are simply discarded if they aren’t shipped to fans.
The workshop offered a “fun approach” to this environmental crisis. Fans sat together, surrounded by unused albums and glossy photocards, learning to transform what would have been waste into intricate collages and personalized journals.
For participants like Riasti, a NCT-zen, this was the perfect entry point:
“I actually wanted to do some journaling… it’s interesting because it combines climate issues with K-pop, which many aren’t aware of yet”.
Riasti, NCT-zen.
The Hypocrisy of the “Green” Corporate Veil
A central theme of the day was the demand for transparency. Fanbase leaders pointed out a striking irony. Small, community-funded fanbases like My Day and Jars Social Project are very open about their work. They release detailed annual reports on their social and environmental projects. Yet billion-dollar institutions like Hana Bank remain opaque.
Nunik highlighted that fans support these banks because of their associations with idols like G-Dragon or An Yujin, only to find their loyalty used as a shield for “greenwashing”.
“Hana Bank must prove their climate commitment and stop using K-pop idols as a tool to hide their greenwashing actions.”
Nunik, My Day and Jars Social Project.
A Call to the Fandom: Join the Movement for a Livable Future
Kpop4Planet is inviting every K-pop fan to join their movement. The organization was created by and for K-pop fans who love the Earth and their idols. It doesn’t matter if you are part of a big fanbase. Even “solo” fans with no specific fandom are welcome. Every voice matters in pushing corporations to be accountable.
Joining also helps make climate science less intimidating. The goal is to make it a normal part of everyday conversation. The movement wants climate change to be as familiar as daily news. It should no longer feel like a taboo topic.
“Kpop4Planet is by fans, for fans. Whether you’re in a fanbase or a solo fan. Every voice matters. Let’s make climate change a normal conversation.”
Nurul, Kpop4Planet.
Fans can get involved through fun activities. These include dance covers, creative journaling, and social media actions. The idea is to channel the natural energy of fandoms into something powerful and lasting.
Nuha emphasizes that this collective action is the most powerful way to protect the future.
“We want the issue of the climate crisis to not be something taboo, but rather something normal to talk about on a daily basis… we also recruit other friends… so that they know there is a name for the super planet movement”.
Nuha, Kpop4Planet.
Fans are encouraged to act out of love for their idols. And out of a sense of duty to the environment we live in. Not for financial gain.
The petition is close to reaching its goal. The message is clear: K-pop fans are transparent, creative, and powerful. Corporate interests should not be allowed to betray the world fans love.
Join the movement. Make sure there is still a planet for the music to play on.
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