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Rolling Stone Korea apologizes for Blackpink column that said Lisa has an ‘exotic appearance,’ Jisoo not ‘most talented’

Daniel Anderson

Daniel Anderson

July 12, 2022

  • Rolling Stone Korea has issued an apology and correction today following backlash over their column and profile piece about Blackpink originally released on July 5.

  • Two passages in particular caused an uproar among K-pop netizens, especially Blackpink fans, with one claiming that member Jisoo “does not possess the most outstanding talent in the group as a vocalist or dancer” and another that described Thai member Lisa as having an “exotic appearance.”

  • Netizens were swift to call out Rolling Stone Korea for unprofessionalism and racism, othering Lisa — the only non-Korean member of the group — as exotic.

  • Earlier this year Blackpink made history as the first Asian group to be featured on Rolling Stone’s cover.

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Rolling Stone Korea has issued an apology and correction for passages written in their July 5 Blackpink column which were seen by K-pop netizens and Blackpink’s fans, Blinks, as disrespectful to members Jisoo and Lisa. 

The apology reads: “We have listened, have read, and have taken in all the considerations and remarks regarding the recent BLACKPINK column. We admittedly noted that we used inappropriate choice of words and context that led to this misunderstanding. A revised and modified column will be published in the second edition of the print next week. The revised column will be on our official website. We apologize to the artists for causing concerns. We ask for patience with us. Thank you.”

While the article provided a complimentary overview of the group and garnered generally positive reception and praise for the members’ quotes and thoughts, two passages in question caused an uproar, with one claiming that the group’s eldest member, Jisoo “does not possess the most outstanding talent in the group as a vocalist or dancer” and another which described Thai member Lisa as having “an exotic appearance.” 

Netizens quickly took to Twitter to conjure the trending hashtags “Apologize to Jisoo,” “Respect Jisoo,” “Apologize to Lisa” and “Respect Lisa.” 

Blackpink’s interview with Rolling Stone Korea was part of a historic achievement for the group as they became the first Asian group to be featured on the magazine’s cover.

In other Blackpink news, the group announced on Tuesday their first-ever virtual concert in partnership with “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile.” It is the group’s first major project since the announcement of their new album in August to be followed by a world tour sometime in 2022.

Feature image via BLACKPINK

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