Today we’re here to talk about K-Pop lightsticks!

This is a show and tell episode, so we highly recommend you check it out on YouTube or Spotify to watch our video component!  

Last year we published a post called Flashing Lights: The New Normal for Concert Experiences, where we reflected on the normalization of making the fans a part of the concert experience in the West via a light show. That post (plus our own growing collection of K-Pop lightsticks) brought us to today where we sat down to share our thoughts on the phenomenon as a whole.

Here are some basic tidbits before we jump into the details:

• In Korean, ‘bong’ means stick. 
• Bongs have names that fit the group, and most of them are “_______bong.” 
• As the group advances in their career and get more money and fans, Lightsticks can have follow up versions that come with more bells and whistles than previous iterations.
• Lightstick designs are getting more and more creative as time passes, and the standard orb with a stick is no longer a must. We’ll share some of our favorite lightstick designs later on in the episode! 

How do you use K-Pop Lightsticks? What’s their purpose?

Based on the research we did for our original blog, the purpose of lightsticks is to make the relationship with the artist reciprocal when we have the ability to meet in person during concerts. “It’s not just about seeing the artists, but about them seeing US being there for them.”

How are they meant to be used?

• Hold at chest level 
• Swing back and forth with the beat of the music 

How does MIA2K Podcast use them?…

Mianhae (we’re sorry for our faults)

• Swing around, with the lightstick basically becoming an extension of our bodies… don’t do as we do, do as we say. 

Now, it’s really important to talk about something that is quite controversial and there are lots of people on either side of the fence on this: is it ok to bring another idol’s lightstick to a concert?

Generally speaking, our opinion is that it’s not. Why?

The main reason is: if the purpose of a lightstick is to show up for the artist and have them see the cohesion in the audience, a lightstick from a different group breaks that visual “we’re here together for you” intent. Aside from this, we have other points:

• The artist and their feelings: we know that not everything in K-Pop is unicorns and rainbows, and so if we’re to assume that there could be beef between certain groups or idols, we’re sure it’s not a pleasant experience for them to see the lightstick of that group in their midst.
• We hear idols talk about how they have to work harder to earn our love and they never do quite enough, so what if those feelings of inadequacy are validated by random lightsticks in the crowd?
• Standing out/eyesore: it’s not just the artist who may be disappointed by the lightsticks from other groups, but other fans also may be distracted when a different lightstick sticks out a lot. For example, our friend mentioned being very turned off by a Candybong from Twice at an Agust D concert. Although Twice is one of her favorite groups and she’s very much looking forward to seeing them, the pink and orange lights of the Candybong were in CLEAR contrast of the Agust D lightshow which was so intentional about setting the mood for songs with set colors.

Now with those points aside, there are for sure some gray areas we can probably agree to disagree on, but with no judgment from our side:

• Is it ok if it’s from the same company? What if it isn’t but it looks similar? For example, what if BTS fans show up to a TXT concert with Army Bombs in hand? The TXT members would likely feel grateful that Army have also decided to support them. If the idols are within the same company, the offense may not be as big.
• NCT’s duster: sometimes the creativity of some fans is so astounding and funny that we have no choice but to stan, which was precisely the case when we saw this fan show up to an NCT concert with a bright green duster in lieu of a lightstick.  

• DIY: if you can’t afford a lightstick but have the patience and dedication it takes to make your own that looks like the original, we have nothing but respect for you.

And because we do our best to be fair and balanced in our research and opinions, although our position is that it’s not ok to cross over lightstick boundaries, there are lots of people who say it is, and for varying reasons:

• There are some artists who are cool with it, including Mark Tuan, AleXa, BM from KARD (the last two notably don’t have their own lightsticks, so if fans don’t bring those from other groups, there’s no light show to be. had at their concerts).
• Fans in favor have written Twitter threads or a tweet like this one about it, especially when there is an established friendship between groups, kind of like there is between Stray Kids and Ateez.
• J-Pop perspective: lightsticks are basically concert-related merch, so they change a lot and almost no one has the same one.

The MIA2K Lightstick Collection

• Our first lightstick was the BTS Army Bomb around March 2021
• Our second lightstick was the Monsta X Mondoongie in November 2021
• Our third was SKZ’s Nachimbong in January 2022
• Fourth was Seventeen’s Caratbong (Kathy didn’t buy one but Laura’s husband was gifted one at a bathroom during the Seventeen concert in LA in 2022, so she ended up with one anyway!)
• Fifth was Ateez’ Lightiny in October 2022
• Sixth was Treasure’s Teulight (in November of 2022, bought in South Korea for/at/during the concert!) 
• Seventh was EXO’s Eribong 

And aside from the lightsticks themselves, we also have fallen for other related items:

• Official carrying cases (we only have the BTS one)
• Keychain versions (as of now, we have the BTS Army Bomb and Ateez’ Lightiny in hand!)
• Lightstick official decor – stickers, etc.

Where is the best place to buy a K-Pop Lightstick?

• Official company stores in South Korea (be prepared to pay astronomical shipping prices, basically higher than the lightstick itself)
• Domestic K-Pop stores in the US (with heavy markups that sometimes almost match the SK shipping) 
• Cupsleeve events where small shops or hosts might offer them (ask your local vendor) 
• At the concert – you must arrive early enough to line up and have a chance at getting the lightstick as they often run out early. So if you’re taking the risk of buying it at the concert, factor in some time and math for:
  • Merch line size 
  • Availability (limited stock) 

To find out about some of our favorite lightstick designs and catch the rest of our unhinged opinions, watch our lighstick episode here: