Lim Young-woong has announced the release of his second full-length album, ″IM HERO 2,″ in August. This album will be released digitally, without a CD. Instead of a physical album, a package (album book) containing the music and a photoshoot will be released. His agency, Eosu Music, explained, ″This decision was made after extensive discussion with Lim Young-woong. We hope that fans will not feel burdened by the devotion and support they receive from CD albums, given the difficulty in enjoying them. We also took environmental concerns into consideration when making this decision.″

Lim Young-woong’s decision will not be included in album charts. He will be excluded from initial sales, which measure sales within the first week of release, or from weekly and monthly album chart rankings. Lim Young-woong previously achieved the highest initial sales for a solo artist with his first full-length album, ″IM HERO,″ released in 2022, with 1.1 million copies sold. This decision is considered a significant shift in direction.

Some argue that this is a strategic move, shifting away from the existing sales-driven competitive structure and prioritizing communication between artists and fans, prioritizing practical values, and emphasizing the essence of music. However, this choice is not an easy one. Considering Lim Young-woong’s influence, it stands in stark contrast to his record of over a million albums sold. Nevertheless, his decision has resulted in a greater emphasis on meaning and authenticity.

Furthermore, Lim Young-woong’s decision has prompted a rethinking of environmental issues. Environmental pollution caused by excessive packaging and plastic waste during album production has been highlighted as a problem. Criticism has also been raised about the photocard-centric hoarding system, a chronic problem in the K-pop album market. Competition for sales, random photocards, and fan signing events have led to fans purchasing dozens or even hundreds of copies, inflating sales figures and placing financial burdens on fans.

This behavior has been criticized as alienating the essence of music and distorting the music market. Lim Young-woong’s decision may not be able to bring about immediate change, but it holds significance in that it raises questions about the industry as a whole. Pop culture critic Kim Heon-sik said, ″I believe the chronic problem in the K-pop album market lies in CD sales. Lim Young-woong has been selling over a million copies with each release. Despite the various issues, I believe his decision is admirable.″

He continued, ″The way we listen to music has changed, and we can listen to it without having to buy a CD. It’s significant in that it reduces the burden on fans and even considers environmental issues.″ He added, ″Ultimately, eco-friendly music activities are the future. Furthermore, we need to consider eco-friendly concerts as well.″ He added, ″The participants were proud of Coldplay’s previous eco-friendly concert.″

Critic Kim emphasized, ″K-pop shouldn’t just focus on album sales and chart rankings; it should also solidify its brand value.″ He added, ″Without such challenges, the K-pop brand value will inevitably decline. Because Lim Young-woong has brought the topic to light, change is inevitable. Without change, K-pop will lack scalability.″