K-pop girl group BLACKPINK’s Lisa said she was honored to join the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace for visiting South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon-hee and hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
President Yoon is on a State Visit to the United Kingdom from Nov. 21 to 23, and the State Banquet was held on Nov. 21.
“It has been such a great honor to be part of this special Korean State Banquet at the Buckingham Palace,” BLACKPINK’s Lisa posted on Instagram on Nov. 23 along with her photos.
The State Banquet at Buckingham Palace (Photos from Buckingham Palace)
BLACKPINK's Lisa in Buckingham Palace (Instagram)
During his speech, King Charles III mentioned BLACKPINK.
“It gives my wife and myself great pleasure to welcome you to Buckingham Palace this evening. Yeong-gug-e osin geos-eul hwan-yeonghabnida [Welcome to Britain]. As we mark the 140th anniversary of our two nations’ diplomatic relationship, your visit to the United Kingdom celebrates our remarkable partnership,” he said about President Yoon.
He added, “It is especially inspiring to see Korea’s younger generation embrace the cause. I applaud Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé, better known collectively as BLACKPINK, for their role in bringing the message of environmental sustainability to a global audience as Ambassadors for the U.K.’s Presidency of COP 26, and later as advocates for the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.”
“I can only admire how they can prioritize these vital issues, as well as being global superstars. Sadly, when I was in Seoul all those years ago, I am not sure I developed much of what might be called the Gangnam Style!” he said.
The investiture for BLACKPINK in Buckingham Palace (Photos from Buckingham Palace)
BLACKPINK’s Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé were honored by King Charles III by investing them as honorary members of the Order of the British Empire (MBEs), in recognition of their role as COP26 Advocates for the COP26 Summit in Glasgow 2021. The MBEs are awarded based on the recommendation of the UK government.
The investiture was held at Buckingham Palace in the presence of President Yoon and his wife.
BLACKPINK members were first appointed by the UK Government as COP26 Advocates in January 2021. As such, they encouraged young people to engage with the global UN climate change conference, held in Glasgow, and the topic of climate action.
As COP26 Advocates, BLACKPINK released videos to encourage young people to know more about climate change.
They were later appointed by UN Secretary General António Guterres as global Ambassadors for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).