BLACKPINK’s White House Performance Blocked by Korean Government? What’s the Truth
During Former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s April 2023 state visit to the U.S., a joint BLACKPINK and Lady Gaga White House performance was considered but later canceled. Recently, opposition lawmakers Park Ji-won and Park Sun-won alleged that First Lady Kim Keon-hee blocked the event, claiming, “Kim Keon-hee dislikes young women being present, so she blocked the performance.”
However, officials refuted these claims, stating, “This is not true,” explaining that financial constraints led to the cancellation. A PPP lawmaker clarified, “At the time, BLACKPINK had agreed to perform without a separate guarantee fee. However, covering the costs for staff, stage preparation, and inviting Lady Gaga proved too challenging for both governments.”
The White House, particularly the East Wing under Jill Biden, had initially proposed the performance, citing Joe Biden’s granddaughter as a BLACKPINK fan. However, disagreements arose over funding, as the U.S. expected South Korea to cover BLACKPINK’s costs. President Yoon, upon learning of the delayed reporting, reprimanded officials but ultimately concluded, “We decided that it would be inappropriate to use taxpayer money or corporate sponsorships to fund the joint performance.”
The controversy contributed to the resignation of key security officials in March 2023. Now, the ruling party suspects the opposition of reigniting the issue to politically target Kim Keon-hee, who has largely withdrawn from public life amid separate investigations. A presidential office official responded, “We regret that baseless fake news is being spread.”
Previously, South Korea and the U.S. planned a joint cultural event featuring BLACKPINK and Lady Gaga during President Yoon’s April 2023 state visit, but its cancellation sparked unfounded rumors.
