- Title: K-pop girl band BLACKPINK faces backlash in China over panda handling
- Date: 10th November 2020
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 17-YEAR-OLD SOUTH KOREAN STUDENT, LEE EUN-SAEM, SAYING: "I don't understand why they apply such strict standards only to the South Korean artistes even though Chinese basketball player Yao Ming also touched a baby panda before. It looks a bit like a witch-hunt to me." TRAFFIC ON STREET / PEOPLE WALKING PEOPLE IN FACE MASKS WALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Korean)
- Embargoed: 24th November 2020 06:22
- Keywords: BLACKPINK Beijing China K-pop Seoul South Korea YG Entertainment panda
- Location: SEOUL AND YONGIN, SOUTH KOREA / INTERNET/ VARIOUS FILMING LOCATIONS
- City: SEOUL AND YONGIN, SOUTH KOREA / INTERNET/ VARIOUS FILMING LOCATIONS
- Country: South Korea
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA005D3ZFX3B
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:A reality TV episode showing the K-pop girl band BLACKPINK holding a newly born panda was pulled after backlash from some in China who accused the group of mishandling a national treasure, the latest dust-up between South Korea's entertainment superstars and China's audiences.
The first panda to be born in South Korea was introduced to the public last week and given a name - Fu Bao, meaning lucky treasure. Some Chinese local media and online commentators denounced the girl group for touching Fu Bao with bare hands while wearing too much make-up, saying it threatened the health of the young cub.
Over the weekend the group's music label, YG Entertainment, announced it would postpone airing the full video, but defended the production.
"When BLACKPINK met the baby panda, all members wore hygiene gloves, masks and protective clothing ... hands and shoes were disinfected at every transition," YG Entertainment said in a statement.
Seo Kyung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University and an influencer of South Korean history, wrote an Instagram post criticising China for engaging in a "witch hunt" with its complaints over BTS and now BLACKPINK. He uploaded a picture of renowned Chinese basketball star Yao Ming holding a baby panda with bare hands in 2012 and said many politicians and celebrities have done so in the past.
(Production: Hyunyoung Yi, Soohyun Mah) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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