SEOUL (ANN/THE KOREA HERALD) – 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, “Rosé, 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 condemned the director, alleging hypocrisy for advocating diversity in his movies while supposedly possessing biased opinions. Some suggested that Lisa’s treatment showcased a wider trend of bias, with remarks indicating that this was yet another instance of the artist being treated unjustly.
Nevertheless, some responses defended the director, suggesting that the situation could have just been a simple oversight. One post highlighted that not everyone knows the names of all K-pop idols, and proposed that Bong may have merely forgotten Lisa’s name.
Lisa, a Thai national, debuted with the group in 2016. While Rosé 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.
“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 Rosé.”
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.
