KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 — Popular K-pop girl group Blackpink made a stunning appearance as one of the esteemed guests at the South Korean state dinner in Buckingham Palace yesterday evening.
The dinner was held in honour of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee’s state visit to the United Kingdom.
Jennie, Jisoo, Rose and Lisa were dressed to the nines following the white-tie dress code, strutting down Buckingham Palace in glamorous gowns.
The group was even complimented by His Majesty King Charles III during his opening speech for being global ambassadors for sustainability.
“It is especially inspiring to see Korea’s younger generation embrace the cause,” King Charles III said.
“I applaud Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé, better known collectively as Blackpink, for their role in bringing the message of environmental sustainability to a global audience as Ambassadors for the UK’s Presidency of COP26, and later as advocates for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
“I can only admire how they can prioritise these vital issues, as well as being global superstars.”
King Charles III also added that Korea’s influence on pop culture now matches that of the UK, hoping it would be the start of a new ‘shared superpower’.
During his speech, the members were seen exchanging warm smiles with each other.
their reactions HEJSJD why were they all caught off guard pic.twitter.com/VlzoV71ozb
— jennie loops (@jnkloops) November 21, 2023
Later, the quartet were seen in a private conversation with King Charles III outside the dining hall.
BLACKPINK OMG pic.twitter.com/rzNoDaL9R0
— ٰ (@blckpinkpic) November 21, 2023
The dinner was attended by British and Korean dignitaries, such as UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and members of the royal family including Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Blackpink’s fans known as Blinks took to social media to express how proud they were of the members and how far the group has come since their debut in 2016.
The group’s UK visit comes in the midst of news of uncertainty regarding the members contract renewals, with label YG Entertainment saying in a recent statement that ‘nothing is confirmed’ yet.