BLACKPINK's 10th Anniversary Celebrations Spark Controversy and Member Apologies

BLACKPINK's 10th anniversary, a milestone anticipated by fans, recently became a subject of controversy in Korea due to issues surrounding their fan event. What should have been a celebratory occasion turned into a series of apologies from all four members, highlighting significant fan dissatisfaction with the event's organization. The core reason for the buzz stems from the perceived mishandling of the anniversary celebration by their agency, YG Entertainment.

The 'Meet & Greet' event, held on August 8th at the National Museum of Korea, was announced just two days prior, inviting only 40 fans selected from Weverse paid members, a platform not actively used by the group for over a year. Initial plans for "some members" to attend were changed to all four after public backlash. Further controversies included allegations of preferential treatment for the museum venue and criticism over the quality and cost of "reverse tribute" gifts. Separately, Jisoo's past "T" remark about not taking photos after their 2023 Coachella performance, where she stated someone needed to organize the situation, also resurfaced as a viral topic.

Local bloggers expressed deep disappointment that the 10th anniversary was marred by these issues, noting the stark contrast between the members' emotional apologies and the agency's perceived poor planning. Some defended Lisa's vacation photos, which were posted shortly after the controversy, suggesting that the negative reactions were a consequence of the agency's "immature planning" rather than the member's personal actions. The overall sentiment conveyed by bloggers was that the agency's organizational shortcomings overshadowed the significance of BLACKPINK's decade-long career.