Charles III would love to see Blackpink live
They were very "special guests", said the British royal family in recognition of the members of the K-pop group Blackpink when they paid a visit to Charles III. It does indeed seem like a rather unusual meeting. But the monarch and the band have something in common.
At first glance, it seems like two worlds colliding. But there is actually something that unites King Charles III and the South Korean girl band Blackpink: their commitment to climate protection. The British monarch promptly awarded the K-pop group a medal for this very reason.
In the presence of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is currently on a state visit to the UK, Charles presented the "Member of the Order of the British Empire" award to the four musicians Jennie Kim, Jisoo Kim, Lisa Manobal and Rosé Park at Buckingham Palace. The band members received the honorary knighthood in recognition of their work as ambassadors for the UN Climate Change Conference, which took place in Glasgow in 2021. At the time, Blackpink called on young people to take action on climate change and take an interest in the global UN climate summit.
Charles still has some catching up to do
At the ceremony, it was clear to see how well the king and the South Korean singers get on. "I hope to see you live one day," Charles said to the band, according to a CNN report. The royal family posted video footage of the event on Instagram and praised Blackpink as "special guests".
Charles had already paid tribute to South Korean pop culture during a state banquet for President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday. In his speech, however, he also admitted that he still had some catching up to do when it came to Korean pop music. He jokingly remarked that he had unfortunately not learned Gangnam Style, made famous by rapper Psy in 2012, during a visit to Seoul.
Blackpink has been around since 2016 and has since become one of the most successful girl groups in the world. In July, the group made history in the UK when they became the first K-pop group ever to headline a major British music festival: Blackpink sang in front of 65,000 people at the BST Hyde Park Summer Festival in central London.
King Charles III's interest in entertainment extends beyond traditional British acts, as evidenced by his expressed desire to see K-pop sensations Blackpink perform live. The British Royal Family's appreciation for music isn't limited to one genre; they've recognized Blackpink's talents and even awarded them for their advocacy in pop music, particularly in promoting climate change awareness during the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.
Source: www.ntv.de
