K-EXPO 2023 in Seoul honors K-content stars like IU and ATEEZ, showcasing achievements in music, drama, and cultural influence.

Stars who made K-content shine gather. The 7th NEWSIS K-EXPO (hereafter, K-EXPO) will be held on the 28th of this month at 3 PM at the Lotte Hotel Crystal Ballroom in Sogong-dong, Seoul. IU, who caused the 'Esung Syndrome' with Netflix's 'Thank You', will receive the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award. ATEEZ, whose title track 'Lemon Drop' from the 12th mini-album 'GOLDEN HOUR: Part.3' ranked 69th on the US Billboard 'HOT100', will receive the Seoul Mayor's Award, along with writer Park Jung-hyu, who won the first Korean script and songwriting awards at the 78th Tony Awards for the musical 'Maybe Happy Ending'. Actors Lee Jun-hyuk and Lee Joo-bin will receive the Chairman of the National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee Award. Lee Jun-hyuk showcased the power of K-romance through SBS's 'My Perfect Secretary', while Lee Joo-bin was active in tvN's 'Queen of Tears' and the movie 'Crime City 4' last year. The Seoul City Council Chairman's Award will be given to P1Harmony and STAYC. P1Harmony's 8th mini-album 'DUH!' achieved over 440,000 copies in first-week sales, setting a new personal record. STAYC's title track 'BEBE' from their 5th single 'S' was selected as one of the '25 Best K-POP Songs of the First Half of 2025: Critics' Picks' by Billboard. BEATPELLA HOUSE and writer Lee Nak-jun will receive the Korea Content Promotion Agency Director's Award. WING, the leader of BEATPELLA HOUSE, is the champion of the '2018 Asia Beatbox Championship', and their song 'Dopamine', released in February this year, surpassed 10 million views in about a month, marking a global hit. Lee Nak-jun is the original writer of Netflix's 'Trauma Code', which gained worldwide popularity. Chu Yong-woo and KiiiKiii will receive the Seoul Tourism Foundation Executive Director's Award, given to the 'new face of Korean content'. Chu Yong-woo gained attention through JTBC's 'Mr. Ok's Wife' and Netflix's 'Trauma Code' and 'Square'. KiiiKiii became a new K-POP icon with their debut album's title track 'I DO ME'. Singer Hwang Garam will receive the Hallyu Ballad Award, and RESCENE will receive the Hallyu Special Award. Additionally, a new Global Net User Award has been established, with three categories: OST (insert song), Next Icon, and Trot Star, decided by 100% fan voting through the app 'STARDOM' until midnight on the 18th. This year's K-EXPO theme is 'Soft Power, Hallyu Penetrates'. Hallyu represents Korea's soft power and leads global trends. In particular, K-POP and K-content fandoms have grown to become not just consumers but agents of social change and communication with the world. At the 'K-Conference', Park Jung-hyu and Lee Nak-jun will give talks on the theme of 'Leveling Up K-Content'. Park Jung-hyu will discuss why the K-musical 'Maybe Happy Ending' swept the Tony Awards. Lee Nak-jun will explore the global market competition potential of K-web novels through 'Trauma Code'. Additionally, performances by BEATPELLA HOUSE, Hwang Garam, RESCENE, and the Global Net User Award winners are also planned. K-EXPO was launched in 2019 to enhance the sustainability of Hallyu and the competitiveness of the cultural industry. It is hosted by the private news agency NEWSIS and supported by the Korean Ministry of Strategy and Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Seoul City Council, Korea Content Promotion Agency, and Seoul Tourism Foundation. The corporate sector will be awarded separately and broadcasted through NEWSIS's YouTube channel.