South Korea says cost not a factor in axing of Blackpink concert at Yoon-Biden state dinner

US First Lady Jill Biden reportedly proposed a joint performance between Blackpink and Lady Gaga to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the US-South Korea alliance

Seoul says the cultural performance was not included in Yoon’s US itinerary and parties were not at the stage of discussing costs

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Blackpink perform during an event in California in April 2019. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 11:00am, 5 Apr 2023

South Korea has denied cost played a role in its axing of a performance by K-pop girl group Blackpink during President Yoon Suk-yeol’s coming summit with Joe Biden at the White House later this month.

The April 26 meeting to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the US-South Korea alliance would be the first state visit to Washington by a South Korean president since 2011.

US First Lady Jill Biden reportedly proposed a joint entertainment event featuring Blackpink and American pop star Lady Gaga at the state dinner. Reports said the Biden administration had asked Seoul to shoulder the tab for the estimated US$2 million to US$3 million gala.

But South Korea rejected the claim.

“The cultural performance was raised as one of many different ideas, and we were not at the stage of discussing costs,” the foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.

It added Yoon’s current schedule for the visit to the US included “no cultural performance”.

YG Entertainment, the label behind Blackpink, last month said it had received an offer for the group to perform at the state dinner. Blackpink is expected to perform in Mexico on the day of the White House gathering as part of its world tour.