Lightsticks have become staples of fandom culture in the K-Pop world, but they weren’t actually a thing until the second generation of groups was formed. Many sources credit BigBang’s G-Dragon with the creation of the very first lightstick, as a way to differentiate their fanbase’s regular glowsticks from those of other bands.
The concept rapidly spread and lightsticks became increasingly creative and intricate. They would each be given a nickname, becoming collectibles for some fans, and statements for others. Lightsticks are now almost mandatory paraphernalia for attending K-Pop concerts and have been improved with Bluetooth technology, which interconnects them to flash to the beat of a specific song.
Although most lightsticks are impressive pieces of merchandise that playfully reflect a group’s identity – like the water gun shape of Cherry Bullet’s lightstick or Mamamoo’s radish-inspired model (radish in Korean is “moo”) – there have been a few duds over the years, as well. Earlier models in general could look cheap and boring, but more recent attempts at modernistic designs haven’t always been successful either.
Golden Child
Fans of Golden Child first learned what their favorite band’s official lightstick would look like in 2018. The Runebong’s design is essentially an inverted bowling pin, inspired by the fact that there are ten members in Golden Child, the same way there are ten pins in a bowling game.
The name, “Runebong” in Korean, is also a play on words, best understood if you look at its version in Hangul – 룬봉. The second letter, which translates to “bong,” simply means “stick,” but the first, which translates to “rune” is the inverted version of 골. 골 is read as “gol,” AKA the first syllable of Golden Child – it’s inverted the same way Goldennesses have to hold their lightsticks upside down.
While the concept for the Runebong is quite ingenious, its final result left much to be desired. Not only does the lightstick’s flat head look strange when you hold it upside down but the light it emanates is also relatively weak and doesn’t produce the desired effect when it’s lit up in a dark concert room.
Sechs Kies (Version 1)
As a first-generation K-Pop group, it took some time until Sechs Kies came up with their own official lightstick. Despite eventually releasing an alternate headpiece their fans could attach to the base, that looks much better than its predecessor, the original Sechs Kies lightstick was a little underwhelming.
Nicknamed by Yellow Kies as “Gon Gal Bong” after the typical Korean crunchy balloon bread Gonggal-ppang for its insufflated shape, Sechs Kies’ lightstick could easily double as a beachball. Although it’s far from being the sleekest lightstick we have ever seen, its meaning is actually sweet. The balloon design is a reference to a time in K-Pop before lightsticks. These bright utensils only took off in the Korean music industry around 2006, but Sechs Kies’ origins date back to 1997 – a time when balloons were fans’ accessories of choice. The neon yellow color is the band’s official color, and the same color as the balloons and rainjackets that Yellow Kies used to take to concerts in the 90s.
Block B
The Block B lightstick is yet another victim of the poor execution of a great idea. The design of the band’s accessory is supposed to be reminiscent of a beehive, which, in turn, is a reference to the fandom’s name – honeybees. Initially called BBC for Block B Club, fans of this seven-member band began referring to themselves simply as bees, which eventually evolved into the final moniker.
The idea of a beehived-shaped lightstick is really cute, but the finished result of Block B’s official lightstick looks too bulky and unrefined. The shade of yellow that was chosen is also not the prettiest or most pleasant. Still, the mini version of this particular model – which can be used as a keychain – works much better, and the shapes created by the cutouts when the light is turned on are really unique and don’t overshadow the lightstick’s design – something that happens often with other models.
B1A4 (Version 1)
B1A4 has one of the prettiest lightsticks in the game currently after their latest design was revealed, but that wasn’t always the case. Back in 2014, WM Entertainment revealed the design for B1A4’s first-ever lightstick and what it lacked in beauty, it made up for in originality and creativity.
It’s shaped like a neon green skull with two hearts for eyes – albeit in different designs; it has cut-outs for teeth and a red bowtie underneath. The heart eyes are obviously a symbol of the love between the fans and the band, and so is the lightstick’s name – PPyoungE (“ppyong” is a common onomatopoetic expression in Korea for the sound of falling in love). It’s not the worst, especially because it really is quite unique and trying to stand out from the rest, but it doesn’t look great either.
NCT
NCT’s lightstick is basically a sledgehammer. Just kidding. It’s just the design that was needed in order to fit the letters NCT into the top section of the stick, but it does beg the question – were there no other ideas? Lightsticks are usually round shaped, so NCT’s instantly jumps out.
Even the name of this funny-looking model is square-shaped. Fans took from the letters that form the word “lightstick” in Korean – “eungwonbong”, written 응원봉 – and transformed the first circular character into a square in honor of the lightstick’s shape. Thus, the name of NCT’s lightstick was born – 믐뭔봄 or “meummwonbom”.
Infinite (Version 2)
Although Infinite are now mostly inactive as a band, they were once one of the biggest names in K-Pop. Their first official lightstick featured a dreamy design with a gold infinity sign inside a small chamber that would light up when the lightstick was turned on. It was lovingly nicknamed “Yeobong,” by fans, after the Korean term of endearment “yeobo,” which translates to “darling,” or “honey.”
This so-called upgrade came in 2019, when the members were already alternating between group activities, solo projects, and military service. It was an attempt by the band’s former label to profit from Infinite while they still could, but it’s noticeable that little care went into the making of the new lightstick. The new version of Yeobong lost a lot of its former charm, instead going for a more basic and, once again, bulky design.
Momoland
Momoland, unfortunately, disbanded in early 2023 after being together for six years, but they were massively successful while they were together. Their lightstick could actually be so cute if it was made with better materials. Both the concept and the design are well thought-out but the end result looks cheap – and lightsticks are anything but cheap!
Momoland’s lightstick is called Beatlight and it’s merry-go-round inspired. The inside is a miniature carousel with the band’s logo in the middle. From its conception, Momoland’s name was meant to signify a place, like an amusement park, where fans can go to dream and have fun, so, for their lightstick to be carousel-shaped is very clever. Too bad it looks like a toy from a dollar store.
2NE1 (Version 1)
2NE1 have had many lightsticks over the years. Like Momoland, they have also disbanded, but they’re still one of the most talked-about and popular Korean girl groups ever. The first version of their lightstick was still a work in progress. In fact, the design changed drastically for version 2, going from the game card design to a heart with wings.
Back in the day, the original 2NE1 lightstick contained two game cards – an ace and a queen. Although it didn’t look great, and barely lit up, this model was one of the most interesting in K-Pop because it referenced Blackjack – a card game where you need to make 21 points to win. One of the card combinations that equals 21 is the ace and the queen. The band’s name itself references the 21st century, and so their fanbase was named the Blackjacks.
T-ARA
T-ARA have led a bumpy life as a band, with rumors, controversies, and exits tarnishing a part of their legacy. They debuted in 2009 and by the time lightsticks started becoming more intricate and technological they were already pretty much inactive as a band. As a result, T-ARA’s lightstick is dated and basic, even if a precious relic to fans all the same.
Despite their music resonating with audiences around the world, their lightsticks never did reach their full potential. They’re all essentially flat acrylic shapeless designs, featuring general lettering and drawings, lit up from below by a flashlight. The headpiece of the lightstick contains T-ARA’s band name, as well as laurels and a crown to signify not only the band but also their fandom, whose name is Queen’s.
SISTAR
While it is a little unfair to compare old lightsticks with the much more evolved standards of today’s K-Pop world, some were worse than others. Like T-ARA, SISTAR also had a pretty minimal-effort lightstick, leading fans to claim their favorite group deserved a lot more from the label at the time.
This simple, yet flashy, model comes in SISTAR’s official fandom color – fuchsia. It features a large “S” stamped on a piece of acrylic with a star on the bottom half, as well as the official name of the band’s fanbase STAR1. SISTAR disbanded in 2017, but we want to believe that if they had carried out group activities for a while longer, they would have been given a proper lightstick.