The virtual idol group PLAVE received the Seoul City Council Chairman's Award at the '6th Newsis Korean Wave Expo' (hereinafter 'K-Expo'), recognizing its contribution to the spread of Korean Wave.

This 'K-Expo' was held at the Chosun Palace Great Hall in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul on the 22nd, and is an event that began in 2019 to enhance the sustainability of the Korean Wave and the competitiveness of the cultural industry. Every year, the event selects individuals or companies who have contributed to the spread and development of the Korean Wave and commends their contributions.

At this awards ceremony, along with PLAVE, the girl group Hi-Key also received the Seoul City Council Chairman's Award. PLAVE released a new digital single 'Pump Up The Volume!' on the 20th at 6 pm and is continuing its active activities. However, due to the nature of being a virtual idol, they were unable to attend the event, and instead, they conveyed their acceptance speech through a thank-you video at the awards ceremony.

In the acceptance speech video, PLAVE said, "We were able to receive this award thanks to our fans. Thank you for inviting us to this meaningful awards ceremony." They expressed their deep gratitude to their fans. They added, "We hope that K-content set in Seoul will spread all over the world. Please give lots of love and attention to Korean Wave culture and PLAVE."

This Korean Wave Expo was an opportunity to look at the present and future of various K-contents, including K-pop, and to confirm the global competitiveness of the Korean cultural industry. The award for PLAVE and Hi-Key shows the future potential of the Korean Wave and suggests that K-content is expanding its influence worldwide.