BLACKPINK's National Museum Event Sparks Audit Controversy

A fan meet-and-greet held at the National Museum of Korea to commemorate BLACKPINK's 10th anniversary has ignited a firestorm of controversy, prompting an impending audit by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The event drew criticism for disrupting regular museum operations and altering scheduled educational programs.

Sports Kyunghyang reported on the 10th that the Ministry's Audit Office has received a formal request to investigate the approval process, facility usage, and visitor restrictions surrounding BLACKPINK's event at the National Museum. The office is expected to address these concerns by the 19th.

The event in question, BLACKPINK's 10th anniversary "Meet & Greet," took place on the 8th at the National Museum of Korea. The private gathering brought together the four BLACKPINK members and 40 lucky fans selected through a lottery system.

At the heart of the controversy lies not the event itself, but its impact on the museum's regular operations. Sources reveal that the specific location within the museum wasn't finalized until the afternoon of the 7th, just a day before the event. YG Entertainment and museum officials were reportedly still ironing out logistical details at that time.

On the day of the event, visitors found access to certain exhibition areas restricted, while pre-scheduled educational programs faced unexpected changes.

Artist Lee Da, who was conducting an "Amazing Thailand Exhibition Viewing + Drawing Workshop," shared on social media that she was forced to extend her lecture until 3:10 PM, despite the exhibition viewing being originally scheduled for 2:30 PM.

The incident has sparked online debate, with some citizens questioning the appropriateness of a public institution prioritizing a celebrity event over general visitor access.

The audit request seeks clarification on whether the fan meeting was an external rental, an internal museum event, or part of a cultural promotion initiative by the National Museum of Korea.

The audit office is likely to scrutinize the timeline of initial discussions, application and approval dates, when the event location was finalized, and the decision-making process behind restricting exhibition spaces.

This isn't BLACKPINK's first brush with controversy over their 10th anniversary celebrations. Fans previously expressed frustration over the last-minute announcement of the event, made just two days prior, and the limited attendance of only 40 people.

What began as a fan meeting has now ballooned into a larger debate on administrative procedures and the appropriate use of public facilities, putting both BLACKPINK and the National Museum of Korea under the microscope.