BLACKPINK’s Jennie on Smoking Scandal: “Know Why Korea is Angry, Will Make Amends”
On September 19th, BLACKPINK’s Jennie made headlines when she appeared on the cover of the October 2024 issue of Harper’s Bazaar US. The idol presented a fresh, never-before-seen look and gave an interview discussing both her career and personal life.
During the interview, Jennie directly addressed the recent smoking controversy for the first time, saying, “What can I do? If K-netizens think it’s wrong, then I have to make amends. It’s like… I understand why people are angry. It’s about culture, history. It’s about time. And I can’t fight against time.“
Immediately, Jennie’s response caused an uproar on social media. Many netizens were outraged, accusing her of expressing a “I’m sorry because you think it’s wrong” attitude, rather than acknowledging her own wrongdoing. They argued that apologizing for blowing smoke in someone’s face is simply common courtesy, not a matter of “culture, history, or time” as Jennie framed it.
However, some fans defended Jennie, claiming that netizens were twisting her words and misconstruing the BLACKPINK member’s intentions. This remains a hotly debated topic online.
The smoking incident originally surfaced on July 8th. In a vlog posted on her personal YouTube channel, BLACKPINK’s Jennie was spotted engaging in what appeared to be vaping. While getting her makeup done for the Jacquemus show in Italy, the idol was seen putting a suspicious object to her mouth and then exhaling smoke. The smoke was blown directly toward the staff members doing her makeup.
This moment immediately went viral on social media. In an attempt to mitigate the backlash, Jennie’s team edited the footage out of the vlog, but the issue continued to attract massive attention. The growing outrage led to heavy criticism of Jennie, putting her at risk of penalties, facing backlash from the Korean media, and being labeled as “abusing her power.” Her company revealed that Jennie had personally apologized to the staff involved and was reflecting on her actions, but this has not been enough to quell public outrage.
Source: K14
