It seems that the global hit APT. by BLACKPINK member Rosé and American singer Bruno Mars has also caught the fancy of South Korean Ambassador to Manila Lee Sang-hwa.
At the celebration of the National Day of Korea in Manila on Wednesday night, Oct. 30, the track that debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 had been played multiple times.
In his speech, Lee admitted he was previously unaware of the song until his wife asked him.
"Recently, my wife asked if I knew what APT meant. As ambassador to one of the ASEAN nations, I automatically thought and asked back, 'ASEAN PlusThree?,'" he said.
"Little did I know, she was talking about the latest hit song, APT, a collaboration between Rosé of the K-pop group BLACKPINK and American pop star Bruno Mars," he added.
As APT. now dominates the playlists of Filipino music enthusiasts, and even Filipino clubs and parties, Lee noted that the "cultural and people-to-people connectivity has never been more robust."
He said the connection "shows the overwhelming love and support for one another and the immense potential for the future partnership between the two countries," he added.