HYBE IPX Brings K-Pop Light Stick to Paris 2024 Olympics

If you’ve ever been to a K-pop concert, holding an artist’s official “light stick” is an essential part of the viewing experience. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Team Korea will carry on this special aspect of K-pop super fandom with their own light stick, official cheer song, and more through a partnership with industry leader HYBE.

Typically handheld devices with a plastic tube and a light-up top, light sticks are not disposable glowsticks, but are personalized for each performance with specific colors, markers, and designs that serve as a way for fans and artists to enjoy the live experience together. BTS has an “ARMY BOMB” light stick with a black stand and a clear globe on top that can represent the “bomb” and emit a spectrum of colors in time with the group’s music using Bluetooth technology. An artist introducing an official light stick is considered a major career move and signals upcoming concerts.

While HYBE just launched a lightstick for one of its newest boy bands, BOYNEXTDOOR, less than six months ago, the company’s business unit, HYBE IPX, has been in talks with the Olympics to bring its technology to inspire similar fans in Paris. The company will provide a specially designed “Team Korea Lightstick” to support the South Korean national team competing in the games. Designed with inspiration from the Olympic torch and stadium, the lightstick utilizes the same technology and expertise used at HYBE artists’ concerts to change color and light up in time with the singing.

“Centralized control is the most outstanding technology that sets us apart from others,” explained Seung Suk Rhee, President of HYBE IPX, in an exclusive interview with Billboard“Simply put, we can easily control light sticks spread across a large space from a centralized console box. We can create variations according to the event, from a K-pop concert to an amusement park ride.”

The newly launched light sticks for Team Korea are in sync with this year’s official cheer song, “Fighting,” by SEVENTEEN’s BSS and Lee Young-Ji, which comes with its own challenges.

“It will be very touching to see so many people come together with one spirit, singing our song in unison to cheer on the athletes,” said BSS. Billboard in a statement. “We are very proud and honored that ‘Fighting,’ featuring Lee Young-Ji, could contribute to the joy of Team Korea athletes at the historic sports festival. This is all thanks to [our fans] CARATs, who have shown so much love for this song since last year, and we are once again filled with gratitude for our fans. Through the energetic rhythm of the song and the fun lyrics that increase the spirit and enthusiasm to cheer, we hope to convey the positivity and energy of BSS to the athletes of Team Korea. We support them all the way to enjoy their moments and achieve their goals with all our hearts.”

To learn more about how K-pop light sticks made it to the Olympics and where they’re headed next, read on to find out more with HYBE IPX President Seung Suk Rhee.

When did the opportunity to make a light stick for Team Korea come up?

Starting early last summer, with the 2024 Paris Olympics generating significant global momentum, we explored ways to integrate the event into HYBE. We decided that introducing light sticks would be ideal, as they both represent the concepts of “spirit” and “support” that are equally important to music fans and sports fans. We approached the Korean Sports & Olympic Committee with this idea and found a mutual understanding to lead the cheering culture, by starting the light stick project.

The most important factor is the design. We can’t just make any light stick, but we have to make a design that symbolizes our country as the national flag. TaegukgiNo. To maintain the unique shape of the light stick while making it instantly recognizable as a national flag, we incorporated the torch and stadium motifs into the final design.

The design is centered on a simple white aesthetic with a shape that resembles a torch or flame. The light beam, which changes color or flashes every time the button is pressed, is inspired by the Olympic symbols — including the five circles of blue, red, yellow, green, and black. Since black cannot be produced with light, we replaced it with white, the background color of the Olympic flag, and added a touch of gold, inspired by the logo of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. With the design in mind to reflect the Olympic identity, we also made sure that it blended in with Team Korea’s official uniform.

What should fans and audiences pay attention to when the light stick is broadcast at the Opening Ceremony?

Personally, what makes it even more exciting is that this will be the first time that HYBE’s light stick will be showcased in front of a worldwide audience from every country. As Team Korea athletes will enter the Opening Ceremony carrying the Official Digital Flag of Team Korea, we hope to contribute to spreading the Olympic spirit, even in a small way.

The lightstick carried by Team Korea athletes features the Korean flag attached to the Official Team Korea Lightstick, the standard version given to Korean spectators. First, we wanted to strengthen the connection between athletes and their fans. Second, we wanted this lightstick to represent Taegeukgi in a new form, not just a lightstick. That is why we also named it the Official Team Korea Digital Flag.

What was the most challenging part of creating this opportunity?

All of my team members have worked on this project with great sincerity. Of course, we were under pressure because of the magnitude of the event, even with a concert hosted by HYBE artists in the arena. However, this is the first time we will be showing off our lightsticks in front of the world. Moreover, this will be the first time that Team Korea athletes will be holding lightsticks instead of the usual national flags at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics. We hope that our lightsticks can contribute to igniting the Olympic spirit among Team Korea.

How was the discussion to make BSS SEVENTEEN and their song “Fighting” the official cheer song of Team Korea?

BSS’s “Fighting,” featuring Lee Young-Ji, exudes the most appropriate message and the right mood for such a festive occasion, especially when the athletes need all the support they can get. We want the excitement to continue throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics for Team Korea, and make it a song that fans will remember for years to come. We will play “Fighting” as one of the cheering songs at Korea House in Paris, where the cheering event for Team Korea will take place.

What does an opportunity like this say about K-pop and the K-pop fandom?

At HYBE, we don’t see K-pop fans and sports fans as different. We believe that fandoms, whether it’s sports, games, movies, anime, or theme parks, share the same core “passion.” While they may look different on the outside, they are all driven by the same genuine desire to cheer and support something or someone they love. Whether a sports fan is wearing a jersey and chanting a slogan, or a K-pop fan is waving a lightstick, they are sending the same message: “I support you.” From this perspective, we realized that we could create a new form of cheer culture by introducing HYBE lightsticks to the world of sports. We believe that fans continue to grow by actively participating and sending their energy to artists and athletes in various ways.

HYBE IPX first developed this technology outside of music with Korean esports team T1 for this summer’s League of Legends Champions tournament. How did the idea come about?

We have been preparing for an outbound project that can showcase our light stick technology to a wider audience, even outside the music industry. With this in mind, we have been discussing new opportunities with partners in various fields. We are currently discussing various collaborations for long-term partnerships, the first of which is the T1 OFFICIAL LIGHT BAND that was first showcased at T1’s “Home Ground” event in late June. HYBE’s production team helped direct the light band during the event.

Can you share more about HYBE IPX and your role in the company?

HYBE IPX is a business unit that focuses on creating limitless opportunities based on artists’ intellectual property and providing new experiences to fans. We develop official merchandise for events such as tours and anniversaries, offer licensed products that bring artists’ characters and intellectual property into everyday use, and host global pop-up stores that provide unique and immersive experiences to fans. HYBE’s lightsticks, which are now expanding into sports and e-sports beyond music, are designed, manufactured, and supplied by HYBE IPX, the mastermind behind lightstick technology.

In addition, HYBE IPX is spearheading the planning and execution of collaborative IP projects with various labels and other business units within HYBE, including BTS 10th Anniversary FESTA in 2023 and “THE CITY”…SEVENTEEN ‘FOLLOW’ THE CITY BANGKOK project in 2023, with another exciting edition coming soon in August at ENHYPEN World Tour “FATE PLUS” THE CITY JAKARTA. Brand ambassadorships, advertisements, and various partnerships involving HYBE artists are also part of our business.

As the leader of the organization responsible for these initiatives and projects, I am fully committed to ensuring that fans have incredible experiences with the artists they love, as well as creating opportunities for them to connect and enjoy unforgettable experiences together.

HYBE said, “With this original light stick system, HYBE wants to expand the innovation that originated from K-pop to festivals and arenas around the world.” Can you explain further?

I’m sure you’ve attended a concert hosted by a K-pop artist or label. The moment you step foot in the arena, you’ll see fans waving lightsticks to support their favorite artists. This is a special culture and technology that is cultivated in the K-pop industry. “Superfans,” which is probably the most popular buzzword in the music industry today, are not limited to the music industry alone, but also exist in other industries such as sports, esports, and animation. We’ve witnessed K-pop fans crying, laughing, cheering with joy. [while] raising their light sticks high. We want to convey this thrilling moment to fans all over the world, no matter who their favorite is.

From executives interested in the technology to enthusiasts buying and using light sticks, what else would you like readers to know right now?

At HYBE, we believe that light sticks are more than just a cheering tool. They are a way for fans to show their support for their favorite artists and athletes, as well as a medium for creating a sense of camaraderie with other fans and a “fan culture” that has matured over time. Light sticks are also a way for fans to take part in performances or stage events and interact with other fans and the artists on stage. Respecting their value, we will continue to work to further expand the light stick culture that originated in K-pop to various regions.