HYOSUNG's ESG brand RE:GEN and sustainable lifestyle fashion brand Harlie K Inc. joined forces at the 2023 Let's Rock Festival, an urban music festival that has been held in Korea for the past 17 years. A music festival likely known for its eclectic mix of artists that ranges from mainstream rock to indie and emotional music, accommodating a wide spectrum of music lovers. This is the lively story from HYOSUNG and Harlie K’s delightful challenges at the Let's Rock Festival held at Seoul's Nanji Hangang Park on September 2nd and 3rd. 

Festivals with so many people: what about the environment? 

▲More than 30,000 visitors gathered to enjoy the 2023 Let's Rock Festival. 

After the official declaration of the end of the pandemic, rock and pop festivals are becoming popular again. Various music festivals are held throughout the country after August. Among them, the Let's Rock Festival in the second half of the year occupies a unique position, as it provides more freedom to its visitors. The Let's Rock Festival is held on the banks of the Han River, which makes for a comfortable viewing experience. There's also a standing area where people can watch the musicians as well as a picnic area by the river where people can enjoy delicious food and music in the cool breeze. 

▲ The audiences are cheering for famous Korean band, Jaurim 

Compared to other rock festivals, the Let's Rock Festival has a diverse artist lineup, which appeals to both the general public and rock enthusiasts. From rock bands with strong impressions like Crack Shot and Romantic Punch to emotive musicians such as Zitten and Kwon Jin-ah, along with famous bands like Guckkasten, Crying Nut, and Jaurim, the Let's Rock Festival covers the age and preferences of all participants, making it an accessible festival for newcomers as well. 

▲ A young rock singer Lee Seung-yoon from the show "Sing Again" is heating up the stage 

However, with the gathering of so many people, festivals inevitably face various environmental problems such as the use of disposable products, and excessive consumption of electricity and water. As a result, "environmental problems at festivals" has become an important issue recently. In line with this trend, there are musicians who refuse to perform at rock festivals that overlook environmental issues, and festival organizers are also coming up with various measures for a sustainable festival. 

▲ At festivals, where food, drink and fun are shared, everyone's participation in the environment is essential. 

The 2023 Let's Rock Festival strived to create a sustainable festival culture with the environment at the center by taking various measures to reduce disposable waste, such as encouraging the use of cups and reusable utensils. In addition, HYOSUNG’s ESG brand RE:GEN and Harlie K collaboratively  joined the Let's Rock Festival this year, adding meaning to the theme of "a festival that thinks about the environment". 

HYOSUNG stands with Harlie K at the festival  

▲ HYOSUNG & Harlie K’s booth at the 2023 Let's Rock Festival 

HYOSUNG is exploring ways to coexist with the planet through its ESG brand RE:GEN, which considers the environment and the future of all generations. At the 2023 Let's Rock Festival, Hyosung TNC showcased the value chain of its eco-friendly material regen, embodying HYOSUNG’s ESG spirit. Harlie K showcased eco-friendly products made with regen. 

▲ Harlie K is promoting its environmentally friendly "recycled denim" material 

Then how did HYOSUNG and Harlie K start their collaboration? HYOSUNG has formed the "RE:GEN ALLIANCE", a consortium of partner companies who share the same philosophy on ESG, to jointly promote HYOSUNG's ESG philosophy. Harlie K Inc., which participated at the Let's Rock Festival, is the parent company of the fashion brand "”Harlie K”, which is popular among the MZ generation, mainly by people in their 20s. Harlie K Inc. is the first runner of the RE:GEN ALLIANCE and is working together with HYOSUNG in practicing environmental sustainability. 

▲ The stories of HYOSUNG and Harlie K, united under RE:GEN, captured the audience's attention 

Harlie K showcases a variety of products using Hyosung TNC's recycled eco-friendly regen ocean nylon, as well as leather made from naturally biodegradable hanji (traditional Korean paper), recycled denim, and bags made from recycled coffee sacks. The brand also recently collaborated with Korean actress Choi Kang-hee. 

▲ The Story of HYOSUNG  RE:GEN ALLIANCE 

At the HYOSUNG & Harlie K booth at the 2023 Let's Rock Festival, visitors could meet various value chains, featuring Hyosung TNC's regen ocean nylon, recycled from marine waste, and regen polyester, recycled from waste PET bottles. Additionally, Harlie K’s recycled denim as well as the recycled coffee sacks made from disposed jeans and coffee sacks, were showcased. 

▲ Visitors at the booth are participating in the spinning wheel event 

Additionally, visitors took part in interactive events such as a PET bottle recycling and posting booth commemoration photos on Instagram. They joined in on spinning wheels and lucky draws, where various souvenirs were available, as well as gifts like Harlie K’s signature products, including tote bags and Mare bags. 

▲ PET bottle recycling event at the HYOSUNG & Harlie K booth 

Visitors to the Let's Rock Festival took a look at HYOSUNG & Harlie K’s booth before and after the performances to explore the recycling materials and try out various Harlie K products, showing consistent enthusiasm and interest. Some visitors, who paid attention to HYOSUNG’s environmentally friendly ESG message, even brought their PET bottles after the festival to dispose of them in the recycling bins provided at the booth. 

▲ An event participant is spinning the wheel prepared at HYOSUNG & Harlie K’s booth 

Visitors could also be seen trying on Harlie K products and expressing their interest and excitement about the recycled materials. The active participation of the visitors far exceeded expectations, resulting in all the prepared products being sold out early on the second day of the festival, showing a warmer than expected response to HYOSUNG and Harlie K’s collaboration. 

Let's take a look at how on-site booth staff managed to blend these two seemingly separate topics, corporate ESG efforts and environmentally focused messaging. 

▲ Choi Ye-ni, Manager of HYOSUNG’s Brand Marketing Team is posing with a Harlie K bag 

Choi Ye-ni, Manager of HYOSUNG’s Brand Marketing Team shared her joy in having an opportunity to communicate with visitors of all ages at the Let's Rock Festival. She noted visitors’ surprise and fascination about HYOSUNG’s environmental efforts, who often asked, "Isn't HYOSUNG a B2B company? I didn’t know that HYOSUNG was participating in such a wide range of environmental activities.” This reaction reinforced her belief in the need to communicate with customers through a wider range of channels. As a fan of rock singer Lee Seung-yoon and a part of the MZ generation herself, Manager Choi expressed her ambition to plan more engaging activities that could appeal to the younger generation such as the Let's Rock Festival. 

▲ Kim Hyun-jung, CEO of Harlie K Inc., expressed her pleasure in working with HYOSUNG 

Harlie K Inc.’s CEO, Kim Hyun-jung, after passionately explaining Harlie K's recycled materials to visitors at the HYOSUNG & Harlie K booth, also shared her impressions of participating in the event. CEO Kim said that she was delighted to introduce Harlie K's fashion products and HYOSUNG’s recycled material, regen, to a diverse audience ranging from trendy culture enthusiasts in their 20s and 30s to family visitors, especially considering the nature of the Let's Rock Festival held at Nanji Hangang Park. She also expressed special thanks to HYOSUNG’s Brand Marketing Team for their efforts in this collaboratively planning and design, which helped make today's event possible. 

▲ Festival attendee Jeong Han-seon expresses support for HYOSUNG’s environmental efforts 

Jeong Han-seon, a festival attendee who visited HYOSUNG & Harlie K’s booth once again to recycle used PET bottles, said, "Every time I come to the festival, it is always disturbing to see plastic waste piling up like mountains.” He expressed his relief that there are companies like HYOSUNG that care about and act for the environment.. As a consumer, Mr. Jeong sent his support for HYOSUNG, not only for it stepping up for waste recycling, but also for developing recycled materials that do not compromise on functionality and quality, as a leader of the textile industry. 

Sustainable environmental practices are HYOSUNG’s pleasure 

▲ HYOSUNG will continue to strive for sustainable joy and sustainable environment 

The 2023 Let's Rock Festival was a success, attracting over 30,000 visitors, signaling a resurgence from the long shadow of the global pandemic and a return to normalcy, and igniting a passion for various events that enrich people's lives, from rock festivals to other cultural performances. The festival, at the same time, was a reminder for people’s desire towards on-site events. Now, in addition to the joy of being able to be together, it's time to reflect on the eco-friendly practices and the creation of a sustainable festival culture. 

Like its participation in the 2023 Let’s Rock Festival, HYOSUNG plans to continue participating in various festivals with an ESG message and engaging in various cultural activities through fashion and culture cherished by the MZ generation. HYOSUNG hopes to meet everyone at events filled with eco-centric lifestyles and the sustainable joy they help create!