G-Dragon of BIGBANG Breaks Records Once More—K-Pop Fans Respond
BIGBANG member G-Dragon just made history.
He became the youngest ever to receive the prestigious Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit. This is the second-highest cultural arts honor from the South Korean government.
The award was given for his huge impact on K-Pop and spreading the Korean Wave globally.
On October 23, 2025 (KST), G-Dragon received the medal at the 16th Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. The Okgwan Order honors those with major contributions in music, performance, broadcasting, and arts.
This cements G-Dragon as a generation-defining artist and cultural icon.
During his acceptance speech, G-Dragon gave a shoutout to his fellow BIGBANG members, tying the honor to their 20th anniversary.
“When I was six, my mom took me to an audition. That’s where it all began. Since then, I’ve been chasing the same dream. In my teens, I achieved my dream of becoming a singer. In my twenties, I received awards. In my thirties, I’ve now received this Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit. Now, I’m really looking forward to my forties…”
“…When I was young, I admired singers so much. And I still do. I’m proud to be one, and I love what I do. The sunbaes who inspired my dreams were shining stars to me. I grew up listening to their songs, and now I’ve become one of those stars. Next year marks BIGBANG’s 20th anniversary, and I want to share this honor with my members.”
— G-Dragon
He closed his speech with words about the power of dreaming.
“I often say, ‘Good night, and sweet dreams.’ There’s power in those words. A good dream can one day become reality, or lead to a new dream. Even if it doesn’t come true, the act of dreaming makes life shine. I hope you all have good dreams tonight.”
— G-Dragon
Here’s the full acceptance speech clip posted on Twitter:
가수 지드래곤 | 문화훈장 옥관 수상소감 full
2025 대한민국 대중문화예술상 pic.twitter.com/jpaQQX1Ws0
— 피플원 (@peacepIusone88) October 23, 2025
Fans flooded social media praising G-Dragon’s well-deserved win.
| theqoo
Comments included:
- “Totally well-deserved, congrats congrats.”
- “The host introduced him as ‘the first artist in history who’s never failed to take No. 1 in any group, unit, or solo album over 20 years.’ That was amazing. Huge congrats.”
- “And the way he talked about his dreams and mentioned his 40s in the speech? So classy.”
- “GD really deserves it, yeah.”
- “He deserves to win it ten times over.”
- “Considering the influence G-Dragon has had on the K-Pop industry, it’s only right he got it. He’s on another level.”
G-Dragon’s legacy in K-Pop just hit another epic milestone.
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