[Edaily Starin KIM HYUNSIK Reporter] The group BLACKPINK (Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, Lisa) reunited with fans as a “full lineup” to celebrate their 10th anniversary. However, fans expressed disappointment as the fan meeting was announced only two days before the event, and invitations were limited to just 40 people. Furthermore, allegations of preferential treatment regarding the rental of the National Museum of Korea marred the 10th-anniversary event with various controversies.

◇Announcement Two Days Before the Event, Only 40 Invited… Controversy Over “Neglect of Fans”
On the 8th, the day of their 10th debut anniversary, BLACKPINK held a “Meet & Greet” event with fans at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Held in the format of a “mini fan meeting,” the event was attended by 40 fans selected through a lottery from among paid members of the fan platform Weverse.
Although there had been speculation that some members might be unable to attend due to overseas schedules, all four members—Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa—were present. Blackpink, reuniting after a long time, also took time to interact with fans worldwide via a Weverse Live broadcast on the same day.
Blackpink, which debuted on August 8, 2016, has grown into one of K-pop’s leading girl groups by scoring hits with songs such as “Whistle,” “Boombayah,” “Playing with Fire,” “DDU-DU DDU-DU,” “Kill This Love,” and “How You Like That.” They have demonstrated immense influence in the global market by achieving success on major international music charts and embarking on large-scale world tours. Their official YouTube channel has over 100 million subscribers.
Fans had high expectations for a large-scale event commemorating BLACKPINK’s 10th debut anniversary as they’ve grown into global artists. However, with the anniversary just around the corner, there was no news until the 6th—two days before the event—when an announcement was finally made, and attendance was limited to just 40 people.
In fact, at the time of the announcement, it wasn’t even confirmed whether the group would perform as a full lineup. This led to widespread speculation among fans about which members might be absent, prompting Rosé to issue a statement through her agency, The Black Label, explaining, “I had secured this schedule a long time ago.” Ultimately, the news that all four members would attend and the event venue were not revealed until the 7th, just one day before the event. This is the backdrop against which criticism arose that the event preparations were rushed, along with controversy over “disregard for fans.”

BLACKPINK is currently pursuing a “separate yet together” strategy, balancing group activities with individual pursuits. Previously, in December 2023, the four members renewed their contracts with YG Entertainment—their debut agency—exclusively for group activities. Since then, they have carried out individual activities through their respective agencies.
It’s not as if there were no group activities at all this year. BLACKPINK held the final concert of their “DEADLINE” world tour in Hong Kong last January and released a new mini-album featuring “GO” as the title track a month later in February.
However, despite releasing their first full-group album in four years and four months, they did not engage in any separate activities, such as appearances on music shows. Given that this was the symbolic 10th anniversary of their debut, there were high hopes for a series of diverse stages, performances, and fan events featuring all four members together, but these fell short of fans’ expectations.
Amid this situation, fan dissatisfaction erupted when even the fan event organized on the actual 10th anniversary was planned on a small scale. During a live broadcast, Jisoo apologized, saying, “I really wanted to meet so many of you, and I knew the 10th anniversary was an important day, but it seems there were communication issues,” adding, “I want to say I’m sorry to the fans who feel let down.”

◇Allegations of preferential treatment for Kook Jung-bak… YG has not issued a separate statement
The controversy continues even after the event has ended. This is due to claims circulating online that general visitors experienced inconveniences, such as restricted access to certain areas on the day of the event and changes to the existing workshop schedule. This has even escalated into allegations of preferential treatment regarding the rental of the National Museum of Korea. Previously, BLACKPINK had carried out a collaborative project with the National Museum of Korea in February, coinciding with the release of their new album.
Amid this, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has received a complaint requesting an audit to determine whether the approval of facility use for this event, the restrictions on attendance, and the changes to existing program schedules were appropriate.
An official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism told Edaily on the 10th, “We will review the relevant materials and then decide whether to actually launch an audit.” YG has not yet issued a separate statement regarding this matter.
An idol group’s debut anniversary is a meaningful day not only for the members but also for the fans who have shared in their growth. Recently, it has become a common trend to arrange time with fans in various ways—such as fan meetings, live broadcasts, and commemorative content—to coincide with the annual debut anniversary.
In particular, the 10th debut anniversary is a highly symbolic milestone. In the case of BTS, they held a large-scale festival called “BTS 10th Anniversary Festa” at Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul in 2023 to mark their 10th anniversary. At the time, they celebrated the milestone with fans by operating exhibition and interactive spaces, hosting fan engagement programs featuring member RM, and putting on a fireworks show. According to estimates by the organizer, HYBE, approximately 400,000 people attended the event.
As a group that, alongside BTS, has represented K-pop on the global stage, Blackpink is drawing significant attention from fans and the public regarding its 10th-anniversary plans. All eyes are on whether Blackpink will put the disappointment sparked by this fan event behind them and wrap up their 10th anniversary, or whether they will seek to appease fans through new content and events in the future.