BLACKPINK, the flagship K-pop girl group, recently accompanied President Yoon Seok-yeol of South Korea on his state visit to the UK. Amid various speculations regarding their contract renewal, the full group's presence at a significant event has heightened expectations for the continuation of their group activities.
According to UK media on November 21st (local time), all four members of BLACKPINK - Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa, and Rosé - attended a state banquet at Buckingham Palace, hosted by the British royal family in honor of President Yoon.
Their appearance at the banquet, broadcasted live by UK broadcasters and showing them interacting with King Charles III, has sparked interest. In his speech, King Charles III praised BLACKPINK for their role as ambassadors for the 'COP26' (26th United Nations Climate Change Conference) last year, highlighting their awareness of critical issues and referring to them as "superstars who know how to prioritize important matters of concern."
BLACKPINK enjoys superstar-level popularity in the UK. Their last full album, 'BORN PINK', achieved the number one spot on the UK Official Albums Chart Top 100 and the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. They are one of the only K-pop acts, along with BTS, to simultaneously top both these major charts.
Moreover, BLACKPINK headlined the 'Hyde Park British Summertime Festival' in London this July, marking the first time a K-pop act has been the main attraction at a famous British festival.
Their participation in the state banquet alongside the president has once again brought attention to BLACKPINK's significant standing in the UK. Additionally, the group's collective appearance at such an event has been interpreted as highly meaningful by some observers.
BLACKPINK, representing both K-pop and their agency YG Entertainment, debuted in August 2016 and has just passed their 7th anniversary. However, they have yet to disclose their contract renewal status.
Amid various rumors about their contract situation, there's speculation in the industry that the members might be considering both individual and collective activities. The prevailing expectation is that while they may engage in solo activities under YG or other agencies, they will continue to maintain their group activities with YG.
YG Entertainment maintains its stance that nothing has been finalized and that they are still in discussions regarding the contract. However, this recent collective appearance has bolstered the belief in the possibility of extending their group activities.
Meanwhile, in its quarterly report released on November 14th, YG stated, "Negotiations for the renewal of the exclusive contract with the artist (BLACKPINK) are currently in progress. The final result will be announced through a disclosure of significant management information related to investment decisions."