Blackpink, a South Korean girl group, has been embroiled in a controversy over a map of the South China Sea.
On March 8, the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism ordered an investigation into the website of iME, the organizer of Blackpink's upcoming concert in Hanoi, Vietnam. The investigation was prompted by a poster on iME's website that showed a map of the South China Sea with the Nine Dash Line, a controversial claim by China.
The Nine Dash Line is a U-shaped line that China has drawn on maps of the South China Sea to claim sovereignty over more than 80% of the sea. The claim is disputed by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
The poster was met with anger from Vietnamese fans, who accused iME of disrespecting Vietnam's sovereignty. Some fans even vowed to boycott Blackpink's concert in Hanoi.
iME and Blackpink's label, YG Entertainment, have apologized for the incident and said that they will remove the map from the poster. However, the controversy has already damaged Blackpink's reputation in Vietnam.
The incident is a reminder of the sensitive nature of the South China Sea dispute. It is also a reminder of the power of social media to quickly spread information and raise awareness of important issues.
https://www.hankyung.com/entertainment/article/2023070705727
