BIGBANG Lives Up to Its Name, Becomes Korea's First Space Agency Ambassador

K-pop group BIGBANG has been named the first-ever ambassador for the Korea AeroSpace Administration, linking one of K-pop's most recognizable acts with South Korea's efforts to bring its space ambitions closer to the public.

YG Entertainment announced on Aug. 14 that BIGBANG had been appointed as the space agency's inaugural ambassador. The group will help communicate the country's vision for aerospace and its major policies while working to broaden public engagement with the field.

It marks the first time the Korea AeroSpace Administration has selected an ambassador since its launch in 2024. BIGBANG will take part in various initiatives aimed at raising public interest in aerospace, drawing on the group's reach both at home and abroad.

"We appointed BIGBANG as our ambassador to build the next chapter of Korean aerospace together with the public," the agency said. "Through a range of outreach activities with BIGBANG, we plan to grow public interest and participation in aerospace."

The pairing also carries a fitting symbolic connection. The group's name comes from the Big Bang, the scientific theory describing the origin of the universe. Its 20th-anniversary world tour, "BIGBANG 2026-2027 WORLD TOUR < XX : COSMOS >," also revolves around a space theme.

BIGBANG will also take part in Dream Capsule, a public participation program tied to the agency's space projects. Fans, collectively known as V.I.P, can submit memories and messages for BIGBANG through a special website marking the group's 20th anniversary.

The messages will be converted into coded images inspired by the Arecibo message, the 1974 interstellar radio transmission sent from the Arecibo Observatory. They are set to be carried into space aboard Nuri 5, South Korea's homegrown rocket. The project gives fans a chance to celebrate BIGBANG's 20th anniversary while participating in a national space initiative.

BIGBANG is set to release its new digital single, "BiiiG," on Aug. 19 at 6 p.m. KST. The group will then kick off its 20th-anniversary world tour, "BIGBANG 2026-2027 WORLD TOUR < XX : COSMOS >," with three shows at Goyang Sports Complex from Aug. 21-23. The tour will span North America, Europe, Oceania and Asia, with 33 shows scheduled across 19 cities worldwide.