[theqoo] [EXCLUSIVE] BLACKPINK’S EVENT LEADS TO RESTRICTIONS AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA, PROMPTING A COMPLAINT TO THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE’S AUDIT OFFICE

The fallout from BLACKPINK’s controversial “last-minute” 10th-anniversary event continues. A complaint has been filed asking authorities to look into the fact that parts of the National Museum of Korea, a public space, were restricted due to BLACKPINK’s event and that existing museum programs were altered.

On the 10th, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s audit office designated an auditor to handle a civil complaint concerning the approval of BLACKPINK’s fan meeting at the National Museum of Korea, the use of the facilities, and restrictions on visitors. The complaint is scheduled to be processed by the 19th.

The matter being reviewed concerns the approval and operation of BLACKPINK’s 10th-anniversary “Meet & Greet,” which was held at the National Museum of Korea on the 8th. The event was attended by the four BLACKPINK members and 40 fans selected through a lottery.

The main points of controversy are how the fan meeting was approved and what impact it had on the museum’s normal operations.

As late as the afternoon of the 7th, the day before the event, the specific location for the fan meeting inside the museum had reportedly not yet been finalized. YG Entertainment and the National Museum of Korea were said to still be coordinating the details.

However, on the day of the event, access to some exhibition areas was restricted, and the schedules of existing educational programs were also changed. Ida, an artist who was leading an “Amazing Thailand Exhibition Tour + Drawing Workshop,” wrote on X that although the exhibition tour was supposed to begin at 2:30 p.m., they were “forced to stretch the theory lecture out until 3:10 p.m.”

The BLACKPINK fan meeting did in fact result in restrictions on some areas and changes to the workshop schedule. Some members of the public also expressed their dissatisfaction about the inconvenience online.

The complaint asks authorities to examine several issues, including whether the fan meeting was an external rental or a joint event/cultural or promotional project organized by the museum; whether the facility-use approval was properly granted; why access to certain exhibition spaces was restricted; why existing programs were rescheduled; and how the event was announced on the museum’s website.

It also asks that, if improper administrative procedures are found, appropriate measures such as corrections, warnings, improvements, recommendations, or official notifications be taken. If evidence of potential work-related criminal conduct is uncovered, it requests that authorities consider referring the matter to investigative agencies. It also calls for disciplinary or other accountability measures if misconduct is confirmed.

During the audit office’s review, it may examine when discussions and the application for the event first began, when approval was granted, when the actual venue was finalized, how the decision to restrict certain exhibition areas was made, and why existing program schedules were changed.

If the event was handled as an external rental, the key issue would be whether the relevant rental regulations were properly applied. If it was instead classified as a museum-run or joint project, authorities would examine the internal basis for designating it as such and the related approval process.

The audit office will ultimately determine whether an audit is necessary as it processes the complaint. Under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s current Audit Regulations, audits are intended to identify problems in specific duties, projects, funds, and vulnerable areas of administration, determine their causes and those responsible, and establish measures for improvement. Such audits may be conducted “when necessary.”

1. Why do the higher-ups keep meddling in idol events?

2. Why would they do their livestream over there? I did find it weirdㅋㅋㅋ

3. Why did they grant the permit in the first place…

4. Something seemed off right from the start, starting with the director

5. I don’t understand why they let them do this in the first place. I was wondering if there was a place to rent there or something

6. I should be grateful for things like this… for letting them use it and being a nuisance

7. It’s just a matter of lending the lobby to a global star like Blackpink for a little while. what’s the big deal? Would people react this way if an international superstar visited Korea and suddenly held an event in the lobby of the National Museum of Korea?

8. Since BP is so popular with higher-ups, they probably told them to go ahead with it… What did the person in charge do wrong?

9. If there are 40 fans, couldn’t you just rent a venue like the kind usually used for fan signings? Why disgrace the National Museum of Korea?

10. Shouldn’t people be thankful for this? I don’t get it