Melon, K-Pop Fandoms Collaborate to Turn Seoul’s Parks Into Forests Honoring Artists

Music, Fans, and Green Living: K-Pop Fandoms Unite for Urban Forests in Seoul

In a powerful demonstration of music-driven activism, South Korea’s leading music platform Melon has partnered with dedicated K-Pop fandoms to bring eco-friendly change to Seoul’s urban landscape. The latest result: two new artist-themed forests, named ‘(G)I-DLE 1st Forest’ and ‘Lee Chan-won 1st Forest,’ newly established in Nanji Hangang Park.

This green transformation is part of ‘Forest:Trimming,’ an initiative that allows Melon premium members to support their favorite artists through regular donations—up to 2% of their monthly payments. Once the contributions reach 20 million KRW, the collected funds are donated to the Seoul Federation for Environmental Movements to create a forest in the artist’s name.

The recent project was made possible through active participation from (G)I-DLE’s global fandom, ‘Neverland,’ and Lee Chan-won’s passionate fanbase, ‘Chance.’ A total of 403 trees—including Japanese Snowbells and Thunberg Spireas—were planted to create these commemorative green spaces.

Coinciding with the group’s 7th Debut Anniversary and the team’s new chapter, (G)I-DLE celebrates its evolving journey, while Lee Chan-won cements his popularity following a successful national tour concert. Fans and Seoulites can now visit the Grass Yard at Nanji Information Center to explore these living monuments, as well as discover similar forests dedicated to BTS, SEVENTEEN, Lim Young-woong, EXO, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, and NCT.

Beyond Nanji Hangang Park, additional artist-themed forests have sprouted around the city, such as the ‘BTS 3rd Forest’ in Ttukseom Hangang Park and ‘SEVENTEEN 3rd Forest’ in Boramae Park, contributing to Seoul’s emerging green spaces.

Participation in ‘Forest:Trimming’ remains open through the Melon App, where fans from all genres continue to support their favorite artists by making a tangible impact on the city’s environment. As K-Pop fever sweeps the world, its fans are now leaving a literal mark—one tree at a time.