K-pop's biggest agencies seek to break accessibility barriers, sustainability reports say

Korea's largest K-pop agencies — HYBE, SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment — are working out not just to run greener businesses but to make the genre itself more accessible by lowering barriers for fans who have long been left out of the live experience. 

The three K-pop companies released their sustainability reports earlier this month, highlighting their endeavors to lower barriers for disabled fans through sign-language interpreters, wheelchair seating, multilingual captions and assistive audio.

JYP Entertainment built the effort into its concert venues.

DAY6 Wonpil's solo concert "Unpiltered" in May introduced Auracast, an assistive listening system. Developed with the nonprofit HearClyde, it sends a show's audio straight to receivers so fans with hearing limitations can take in the vocals and music directly, rather than through the room.

The most personal example came from girl group NMIXX's Bae, who taught herself sign language to reach fans who had never heard her sing.

"The instruments and Wonpil's voice reached me clearly, and for the first time in my life I could laugh and breathe along with everyone else," a fan who had experienced the hearing system said. 

JYP Entertainment also added barrier-free seating and dedicated assistance desks at the concerts. The agency utilizes AI translation capabilities to translate videos into 17 different languages. 

SM Entertainment, in celebration of the agency's 30th anniversary, worked with disabled fans and disability organizations to rethink how it handles accessibility.

The agency published a dedicated guidebook to improve accessibility in concerts to those with disabilities, which includes the booking experience, off- and on-site help and mobility support. 

SM Entertainment shared the guide with promoters, ticketing agencies and venue operators as a working manual and trained partner staff to use it. In its report, the company called accessibility for disabled audiences "not a courtesy but a right."

During girl group aespa member Ningning's birthday last September, the agency also held a birthday flea market where proceeds were donated to the Miral Welfare Foundation, a nonprofit with programs for people with disabilities.

HYBE addressed both hearing and sight at its venues.

The agency said its wheelchair seats consider accessibility and visibility to the stage, while a companion can also book a ticket next to them. Fans can also request a sign-language interpreter through customer service, while blind and low-vision fans are walked from the entrance to their seats.

On its fan platform Weverse, live broadcasts carry automatic subtitles in 16 languages.

HYBE is also planning to train and hire developmentally disabled people with artistic talent into professional visual artists. 

BY CHO YONG-JUN [[email protected]]