Once megastar, G-Dragon finds new avenues for influence

G-Dragon, a member of YG Entertainment's biggest boy group Big Bang who dominated the K-pop scene from 2006 to 2018, has recently been making unique moves, moves that industry insiders say show that the musician is striving to maintain his fame and reputation as a cultural icon.

On Monday, G-Dragon launched a new foundation, JusPeace, to help young artists with drug addiction. In June, he appeared at the Innovate Korea forum on the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology campus, where he was appointed as a visiting professor at KAIST’s mechanical engineering department. At the beginning of the year, the singer was seen at CES 2024, the world’s largest consumer electronics and IT trade show in Las Vegas, exploring the latest artificial intelligence technologies.

Music critic Lim Hee-yun believes G-Dragon is attempting to stay relevant by pioneering a new path as a cultural icon.

“G-Dragon is now considered a has-been artist. He is more like an uncle figure to today’s younger generation. Also, his group Big Bang was once a megastar in the K-pop scene, but they did not achieve the same global success as BTS did. He probably wants to maintain his fame and status as a cultural icon by continuously taking on new challenges,” Lim said Tuesday.

A local entertainment official familiar with YG Entertainment agreed that G-Dragon has always been open to new ventures and experiments.

“G-Dragon has always stood out from typical artists. His innovative approach to music, fashion and art set him apart, making him a multifaceted cultural icon. His recent moves were probably decided on his own, considering that an artist of his stature usually has a stronger voice over his agency about future activities,” the official said Tuesday.

However, the official pointed out that G-Dragon should not have made the launch of the JusPeace Foundation public, as the singer could be consistently associated with his past drug use controversies. The singer previously faced charges for marijuana use in 2011 but faced no indictment. In October of last year, G-Dragon was investigated once again by Incheon Police for drug use, but no charges were filed as there was no corroborating evidence.

Culture critic Bae Kuk-nam believes establishing the foundation is meaningful, even if G-Dragon intended to rehabilitate his image tarnished by the drug incident.

“Of course, some might view G-Dragon’s recent activities as attempts to improve his image following the past marijuana incident. But, I positively evaluate G-Dragon's use of his influence and global popularity to have a positive impact on our society," Bae said on Wednesday.

G-Dragon is recognized as one of the most successful trendsetters in K-pop history. He became the first K-pop idol to hold a solo art exhibition at the Seoul Museum of Art in 2015 and participated in a special auction with Sotheby’s in 2019 as a curator. The musician has also serves as a global ambassador for the French luxury brand Chanel since 2016.