In a seeming effort to curb ongoing controversy resulting from BLACKPINK members being allowed to pet a captive panda in a zoo, YG Entertainment announced Nov. 7 that they are cancelling the airing of the last episode of the group's web reality series “24/365 with BLACKPINK.”
The management firm explained:
"BLACKPINK's zookeeper experience at Everland with the pandas took place under strict safety measures including disinfection.
“When the BLACKPINK members met up with the baby panda, all of the members wore protective gloves, masks, and suits at all times, and we also again stress that between each scene, they carried out hand and shoe disinfections.
"However, after taking into consideration recommendations by experts in the field of panda protection that 'Non-experts coming into close contact with baby pandas can cause various levels of misunderstandings', and also in the hope of respecting international cooperative conventions, we have decided that the video in question will be withheld from airing."
"We would like to thank everyone who raised concerns regarding this issue.
It then appealed, "We ask for your unchanging love and affection toward BLACKPINK as well as pandas.”
Prior, the group trended on social media after several netizens expressed alarm with members of the group being allowed to interact with A baby panda sans gloves and masks as seen in a preview of the episode released on YouTube.