Blackpink 10th anniversary controversy: Rosé's past comments resurface

As Blackpink issues consecutive apologies following controversy over fan mistreatment surrounding their 10th-anniversary event, Rosé's past remarks regarding the possibility of members pausing activities and the future of the group are drawing renewed attention.

Last January, Rosé appeared on the American podcast "Call Her Daddy," where she discussed Blackpink's group activities and the members' futures with host Alex Chu.

At the time, the host asked Rosé, "Have you ever talked about what would happen if one of the members no longer wanted to do Blackpink activities?"

While Rosé stated she did not remember the specific details of the conversation, she mentioned that if one of the members felt that continuing activities no longer suited them, everyone would accept that choice.

She explained that they would understand and respect each other's decisions, saying, "If one of us feels it's not right at a certain point, we will all accept it."

In particular, Rosé emphasized that not only within Blackpink, but in any relationship, if one person is no longer prepared to do something, their choice should be respected.

She cited the fact that Blackpink is a team composed of "four" members as the primary reason.

"Blackpink is only the four of us," Rosé said, adding, "If it is a decision each member makes in their own life, no one's choice can be ignored." She further expressed the stance that each person believes the decisions they make are the right ones for themselves.

At the time, these remarks were perceived as a demonstration of the members' friendship and trust, but as they are being resurfaced now that Blackpink has reached its 10th anniversary since debut, the meaning has shifted.

On the 8th, Blackpink held a "Meet & Greet" event at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, to celebrate their 10th anniversary since debut and meet with fans.

However, because the announcement was made only two days before the event, and the gifts provided to fans were limited to small bouquets and rice cakes worth 6,900 won, combined with a short live broadcast lasting only about 11 minutes, criticism arose among fans that there was a "lack of preparation and sincerity for the 10th-anniversary event."

Ultimately, the members stepped forward to apologize directly.

Jisoo, Rosé, and Lisa each expressed their apologies to fans in turn, while Jennie expressed her gratitude to the fans.

In this process, as the clip of Rosé previously stating, "If someone feels that continuing activities is not right, I will respect it," spreads again, some fans are offering various interpretations regarding the team's future activities.

However, Rosé's remarks at the time were not a mention of a specific member's hiatus or the possibility of the team disbanding, but were closer to a principled thought that the four members should respect each other regardless of what choices they make in their respective lives.

Rather, the point to note in her remarks is that she views the individual choices and lives of the four members as being just as important as maintaining the team known as Blackpink.

Over the span of 10 years, Blackpink has grown into a global group, but at the same time, the members have expanded their own musical and professional spheres. How they will strike a balance between the continuity of the team and individual freedom remains an important task for Blackpink to solve moving forward.

This 10th-anniversary controversy also poses a question beyond a simple issue of event management: how to continuously manage the relationship that fans and artists have built over a long period.

Ultimately, attention is focused on whether the "relationship of respecting each other's choices" that Rosé emphasized in the past will become a key keyword explaining Blackpink's next 10 years.