Following last year, Fanlight is again exhibiting and promoting Korean-style light sticks at the ‘LDI Las Vegas Exhibition’ this year. Photo courtesy of|Fanlight

A ‘bold attempt’ has begun to transplant the ‘light stick culture,’ a symbol of K-pop, into the U.S. market, the home of pop.

Since the 8th, Fanlight, a light stick developer, has been exhibiting and promoting Korean-style light sticks at the ‘LDI Las Vegas Exhibition,’ accelerating its push into the U.S. market. This is its second participation, following last year.

In the United States and Europe, the meccas of pop, there is virtually no business model of selling light sticks to fans as merchandise, and Fanlight is drawing attention as it seeks to change that culture and develop new businesses through collaborations with mainstream local artists.

To back this localization strategy, it directly purchased a building near Hollywood in Los Angeles (5802 Willoughby Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90038 the United States), kicking off its ‘local transplantation of K-pop light sticks’ push in earnest.

Changing K-pop’s paradigm with wireless control technology

Fanlight’s push stems from innovation in K-pop stage technology. What were once simple cheering tools such as balloons and glow sticks have now evolved into technology-packed devices linked to smartphones and Bluetooth that bathe entire concert halls in multicolored ‘waves of light,’ becoming moving conduits that unite artists and fans.

Choi Kyung-il, chairman of Fanlight, who led this innovation, got the idea at a SHINee concert, ‘Wouldn’t fans like it more if we wirelessly controlled chemi-light glow sticks?’, and founded the company in 2012. Over five years, he invested KRW 2 billion to devise the world’s first wireless control system and secured a patent.

In particular, collaboration with EXO, a group under SM Entertainment, was a decisive turning point that changed the paradigm of K-pop stage technology. At EXO’s request, Fanlight successfully implemented advanced features including group control of light sticks, rendering letter or heart-shaped patterns, and synchronization with stage lighting and songs.

Since then, Fanlight has grown into an industry leader by producing the official light sticks for leading K-pop idol groups including BTS, SHINee, aespa, and IVE, and its revenue surged from KRW 14 billion in 2018 to KRW 27.5 billion last year. Fanlight currently operates three corporate entities in Korea, the United States, and Japan.

-Technology that has adorned various K-pop performances including Cho Yong-pil and BLACKPINK, maximizing the emotional impact

Fanlight’s wireless control technology continues to set a new paradigm by maximizing communication between artists and their fandoms at concerts by Cho Yong-pil, BLACKPINK, and others.

At these shows held in early winter 2025, the transformation of Fanlight’s light sticks, together with the audience’s feverish energy, blended with immersive productions using lasers and screen media to offer a ‘fantastically radiant spectacle.’

The light stick technology served as a key element that encapsulated the emotion, exhilaration, and the full spectrum of joy and sorrow of the performances.

Fanlight’s push is delivering a fresh jolt to K-pop fans worldwide, beyond the Korean music scene.

Fanlight’s U.S. headquarters set up locally in the United States for the ‘local transplantation of K-pop light sticks.’ Photo courtesy of|Fanlight