March 7, 2025
SEOUL – Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho is facing criticism from fans of Blackpink’s Lisa after he did not include the name of the Thai star while naming Blackpink members in a recent interview, with some accusing him of racial bias.
In a promotional interview for his upcoming sci-fi film “Mickey 17” on BuzzFeed Celeb’s YouTube channel, Bong named Blackpink his favorite K-pop group. When asked about his favorite member, he responded, “Rose, Jisoo, Jennie,” before pausing briefly and adding, “All of them.”
Some fans took issue with Lisa being the only member not named in both the video’s comment section and on X.
The commenters criticized the director, accusing him of hypocrisy for promoting diversity in his films while allegedly holding prejudiced views. Others speculated that Lisa’s treatment reflected a broader pattern of discrimination, with comments suggesting that this was yet another example of the singer being treated unfairly.
However, some responses defended the director, arguing that the situation might have been a simple oversight. One post pointed out that not everyone knows the names of all K-pop idols, and suggested that Bong may have simply forgotten Lisa’s name.
Lisa, a Thai national, debuted with the group in 2016. While Rose and Jennie have lived abroad, Lisa is the only foreign-born member, which has at times fueled perceptions among fans that she is treated differently.
Even before Lisa’s solo debut in 2021 with “Lalisa,” many international fans claimed she received fewer individual opportunities in Korea than other members. YG Entertainment has never commented on such claims.
At the 2019 Golden Disc Awards in Seoul, Lisa was seen standing slightly apart from the other members at certain moments, leading to online speculation that she was being excluded.
“Ever since Lisa’s debut, some Thai fans have felt she was being mistreated because of her nationality,” a Thai K-pop fan told The Korea Herald on Thursday. “There’s even a term ‘OT3,’ which stands for ‘one true three,’ used by Blackpink fans who only support Jennie, Jisoo and Rose.”
Lisa parted ways with YG Entertainment as a solo artist in 2023 and established her agency, Lloud, in February 2024. However, she renewed her contract with YG for Blackpink group activities.
On Sunday, Lisa became the first K-pop singer to perform at the Academy Awards, taking the stage at the 97th Oscars to sing “Live and Let Die” from the James Bond film series.