King Charles III Gives Shoutout To BLACKPINK During South Korea State Visit

King Charles III hosted a banquet at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, November 21, in honour of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee's state visit to the U.K. Among the roughly 170 guests who attended were members of the K-Pop band BLACKPINK.

The group, comprised of Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé looked elegant in their respective gowns. Jisoo wore a black, textured puff-sleeved dress from Christian Dior's resort 2024 collection which she paired with a Dior monogram top-handled purse.

Meanwhile, Rosé wore a black strapless velvet dress with a bow in her hair and black pointed-toe pumps. Lisa looked very regal in an aquamarine beaded tulle dress with a cape from Georges Hobeika, which she accessorised with metallic gold platform sandals and a diamond necklace. Jennie opted for a long-sleeved bridal ensemble fitted with an off-the-shoulder neckline and train.

The girls entered the palace together before they took their assigned seats. During the banquet, King Charles III gave a shout out to the BLACKPINK members in his speech, much to their delight.

His Majesty began his speech with a welcome in Korean before he praised the relationship shared between South Korea and Great Britain. He further commended the visiting country's strides in sustainability and BLACKPINK's impact.

He said: "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."

King Charles III added: "I can only admire how they can prioritise 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, referencing his last visit to the South Korean capital in 1992 with Princess Diana.

At the mention of their names, Jisoo looked back and shared a meaningful smile with Jennie and Rosé who were seated at the table behind her. She also looked to her side probably to check out Lisa's reaction as seen in the video shared by Pop Base to X.

Aside from sharing his gratitude to BLACKPINK, King Charles III also talked about South Korea's influence on pop culture. He mentioned how South Korean film director Bong Joon-ho rivals the likes of U.K filmmaker Danny Boyle and the popular "James Bond" franchise with the hit Netflix series "Squid Game".

The monarch also likened the success of "Dynamite" from all-boy K-Pop group BTS to that of the Beatles' "Let It Be". He said: "Our cultures share a remarkable ability to captivate imaginations across the world, transforming a so-called soft power into a shared superpower."

After the dinner, BLACKPINK was pictured accompanied by King Charles III, with Rosé seen chatting with him.

Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton were also at the evening banquet. Earlier on Tuesday, they greeted the presidential couple at their hotel in London on behalf of King Charles III. They then travelled together to Horse Guards Parade, where His and Her Majesty joined them for the ceremonial welcome.

The Republic of Korea's national anthem was then played after a royal salute and the president, accompanied by the monarch, walked along the Guard of Honour of F Company Scots Guards to carry out the official inspection.

The ceremony ended with the president and first lady joining King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton in a carriage procession along The Mall to Buckingham Palace.

Prior to attending the banquet at Buckingham Palace, BLACKPINK made history in the U.K. when they headlined a major music festival at BST Hyde Park in July.