SEOUL,KOREA - Media OutReach -28 February 2019 - Twitter is the best place for KPop fans to see what's happeningand join global conversations on the latest Kpop news and artists. Twitter willonce again collaborate with Rakuten Viki's publishing arm, Soompi (@soompi), the largest global online community forKorean entertainment, for their 14^th annual #SoompiAwards. The #TwitterBestFandom award will continue to recognize the mostpassionate KPop fandom on Twitter, but in a fresh twist, a new honorarydistinction, called the Twitter Rising Fandom Achievement, willalso be given out for the biggest increase in vote Tweets compared to lastyear's results. Exclusively held on Twitter, the #TwitterBestFandom award will be the only voting to take place onany social media platform for this year's #SoompiAwards.

In 2018, Twitter users voted for their favouriteKorean artists and interacted with each other on the platform, generating over42 million vote Tweets globally. Eventually, GOT7 (@GOT7Official) and their passionate fans won the #TwitterBestFandom award, successfully clinching the most popularcrown for the third year in a row. Check out the heat map below to see theglobal #TwitterBestFandom conversation during last year's Soompi Awards.

Heatmap of global #TwitterBestFandom conversations during Soompi Awards in 2018

The new Twitter Rising Fandom Achievementwill recognise the KPop fandom that has grown the most on Twitter by comparingthe total vote Tweets for each KPop artist this year to the total vote Tweetsfor each KPop artist in 2018. The increase in vote Tweets will show the risingpopularity of KPop artists who built up their fandom worldwide over the lastyear.

For both the #TwitterBestFandom award and the Twitter Rising FandomAchievement, KPop fans worldwide can send their vote Tweets during two separate 24-hour periods by Tweeting#TwitterBestFandom hashtag along with the team hashtag:#Team(group name). For example, to vote for GOT7 (@GOT7official), fans should use the #TwitterBestFandom and #TeamGOT7 hashtags in the same Tweet. For the full listof team hashtags, please visit https://www.soompi.com/bestfandom.

The first voting period will be from 8pm KST on2 March 2019 to 8pm KST on 3 March 2019, while the second voting period will befrom 8pm KST on 16 March 2019 to 8pm KST on 17 March 2019.

Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/soompi/status/1100962525019987968 

Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/soompi/status/1100963935098888192

Enjoy #TwitterBlueroom and Customised Emojis for #SoompiAwards

The KPop artist winners of both the #TwitterBestFandom award and Twitter Rising FandomAchievement will receive their #SoompiAwards trophy and be invited to their own exclusive #TwitterBlueroom allowing them to personally thank their fansand answer their questions, while enabling their fans to congratulate anddirectly talk to them on Twitter.

Last year, Mamamoo(@RBW_MAMAMOO) participated in a live globalconversation with their fans through a #TwitterBlueroom after their nomination in fivecategories including Album of the Year and Song of the Year.

Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/soompi/status/953154415531147266

Twitter also launched two customised emojis forthe #SoompiAwards and #TwitterBestFandom hashtags from 27 February to 27 March 2019. Ifyou belong to the global #KPpopTwitter community, join the worldwide Soompi Awardsconversations with these two hashtags, while voting and expressing your lovefor your favourite KPop stars on Twitter!

About Twitter

Twitter, Inc. (NYSE: TWTR) is what's happeningin the world and what people are talking about right now. On Twitter, livecomes to life as conversations unfold, showing you all sides of the story. Frombreaking news and entertainment to sports, politics and everyday interests,when things happen in the world, they happen first on Twitter. Twitter isavailable in more than 40 languages around the world. The service can beaccessed at twitter.com, on a variety of mobile devices and via SMS.For more information, visit about.twitter.com or follow @TwitterKorea. For information on how to download the Twitterand Periscope apps, visit twitter.com/download and periscope.tv.

About Soompi

Soompi, the publishing arm of Rakuten Viki, is the leader in online communities, news,music and more for K-pop and K-entertainment. Rakuten Viki is a global over-the-top platform and a premier destination for Asian entertainment, where millions of peoplewatch their favorite TV shows, movies, and Viki Originals -- translated into200+ languages by a community of avid fans. Together, we're breaking downbarriers that stand between great entertainment and its fans, no matter wherethey are.