SEOUL - In K-pop culture, a light stick is not just a simple item for fans to ramp up the fun factor at concerts.
Artistes routinely invest time and effort to come up with light sticks to stand out from their rivals, reports The Korea Herald.
Here are three illuminating examples.
1. BTS
The group's first light stick was released on their fan site in 2015.
A grey bomb atop a simple black stand, the design is simple and bold.
The sphere is thought to symbolise a globe, representing the group's growing international popularity.
Last year, a second edition of the light stick was released with a more translucent sheen, refined tip and sleeker stand.
On July 5, a teaser for the third version was shared with fans, featuring a similar concept in a darker tone.
2 . Apink
Apink designed a panda with pink accents to be the centre of its first light stick in 2016.
It represents the girls' fan base name, Panda, and official colour, strawberry pink.
When turned on, the panda's nose, eyes and ears light up.
Apink released the design for the second version of the light stick this year, with features like lighting that can be controlled remotely.
3. GOT7
Similar to Apink, the seven-member boyband used their fan base name, IGOT7, as inspiration for the light stick.
Because IGOT7 sounds like "baby bird" in Korean, the 2016 light stick features a bird encasing a neon green GOT7 logo on top of a white stand.
The group released a second version of the light stick in preparation for their 2018 world tour.