After Seoul's foreign ministry said on Tuesday it had received an official complaint, a now removed video depicting K-pop megastar Jennie of Blackpink smoking a vape inside has generated internet anger.
Jennie seems to exhale vape smoke in the film, released as part of a live blog on YouTube for fans but then deleted even as copies of it circulate the internet. A swarm of hair and makeup specialists work closely on her face in the footage.
Smoking cigarettes or vapes inside is forbidden in South Korea; the clip set headlines and online indignation; "Blackpink Jennie" and "indoor smoking" have been top trending topics on social media site X in the South.
Typical of the extensive reporting in Korean-language media, the title of the Yonhap news agency's piece was "Controversy over Jennie's indoor smoking. exhaling smoke in the face of her staff."
One online user said the event most likely occurred in Italy's Capri, where Jennie had been shooting, and claimed they had asked the Blackpink star's South Korean Embassy in Italy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to investigate.
The article added the user wanted Seoul to ask "an investigation from the Italian authorities regarding Blackpink's Jennie's indoor smoking incident and take strict action."
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea reported receiving a petition over the event.
Jennie "deeply regrets her mistake," the star's agency OA Entertainment said while acknowledging the issue and apologising on her behalf.
The agency stated in a Tuesday statement: "We truly apologise to everyone who felt uncomfortable with Jennie's actions".
"Jennie personally apologies to all the affected staff members on-site."
With its songs ranking both locally and globally, Blackpink is one of the most popular K-pop girl groups in South Korea.
Blackpink is also the first Asian artists to headline major music festivals like Coachella and the first K-pop female group to top the US Billboard 200 list.
"Showing such a video on her own SNS channel begs major issues regarding her common sense. One observer on South Korean site Naver commented, "It is really disappointing."
Although official statistics show that five percent of South Korean women smoked as of 2022, compared to thirty percent of males, smoking rates remain very high in the country.
Before their debut, South Korean pop singers go through years of intense training and live under strict behavioral norms; smoking, dating, and cursing are generally restricted, particularly in the initial years after their debut.
Jennie has admitted before to have difficulty with these standards.
In a Netflix documentary, Jennie, who debuted with Blackpink in 2016, said: "It's really harsh."
She remembered of her training period: "We were not allowed to drink, smoke or get a tattoo," she said, adding that she had to suffer "being told that I'm not good at stuff".
Read More about Blackpinks:
Curious about BLACKPINK? Your Guide to All Things BLACKPINK!
Has Blackpink's Jennie been rumored to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Was That BLACKPINK’s Jennie & V of BTS Holding Hands in Paris?
Anonymous 
After Seoul's foreign ministry said on Tuesday it had received an official complaint, a now removed video depicting K-pop megastar Jennie of Blackpink smoking a vape inside has generated internet anger.
Jennie seems to exhale vape smoke in the film, released as part of a live blog on YouTube for fans but then deleted even as copies of it circulate the internet. A swarm of hair and makeup specialists work closely on her face in the footage.
Smoking cigarettes or vapes inside is forbidden in South Korea; the clip set headlines and online indignation; "Blackpink Jennie" and "indoor smoking" have been top trending topics on social media site X in the South.
Typical of the extensive reporting in Korean-language media, the title of the Yonhap news agency's piece was "Controversy over Jennie's indoor smoking. exhaling smoke in the face of her staff."
One online user said the event most likely occurred in Italy's Capri, where Jennie had been shooting, and claimed they had asked the Blackpink star's South Korean Embassy in Italy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to investigate.
The article added the user wanted Seoul to ask "an investigation from the Italian authorities regarding Blackpink's Jennie's indoor smoking incident and take strict action."
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea reported receiving a petition over the event.
Jennie "deeply regrets her mistake," the star's agency OA Entertainment said while acknowledging the issue and apologising on her behalf.
The agency stated in a Tuesday statement: "We truly apologise to everyone who felt uncomfortable with Jennie's actions".
"Jennie personally apologies to all the affected staff members on-site."
With its songs ranking both locally and globally, Blackpink is one of the most popular K-pop girl groups in South Korea.
Blackpink is also the first Asian artists to headline major music festivals like Coachella and the first K-pop female group to top the US Billboard 200 list.
"Showing such a video on her own SNS channel begs major issues regarding her common sense. One observer on South Korean site Naver commented, "It is really disappointing."
Although official statistics show that five percent of South Korean women smoked as of 2022, compared to thirty percent of males, smoking rates remain very high in the country.
Before their debut, South Korean pop singers go through years of intense training and live under strict behavioral norms; smoking, dating, and cursing are generally restricted, particularly in the initial years after their debut.
Jennie has admitted before to have difficulty with these standards.
In a Netflix documentary, Jennie, who debuted with Blackpink in 2016, said: "It's really harsh."
She remembered of her training period: "We were not allowed to drink, smoke or get a tattoo," she said, adding that she had to suffer "being told that I'm not good at stuff".
Read More about Blackpinks:
Curious about BLACKPINK? Your Guide to All Things BLACKPINK!
Has Blackpink's Jennie been rumored to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Was That BLACKPINK’s Jennie & V of BTS Holding Hands in Paris?