Blackpink praised at Buckingham banquet

Girl group Blackponk attends a state banquet at Buckingham Palace on Nov. 21, 2023. Photo from Weibo/Huihuo

The artists were among 170 guests at the event held on Tuesday as part of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee’s state visit to the United Kingdom in recognition of King Charles’ invitation, reported ABC News.

Other banquet guests included UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, members of the Royal Family, and a bevy of British and South Korean politicians.

The king specifically mentioned the girl group in his speech, and praised them for their global influence, according to People Magazine.

"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," he said.

"I can only admire how they can prioritize these vital issues, as well as being global superstars."

His speech referred to when the K-pop superstars were appointed goodwill ambassadors for the 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference in 2021 and were invited to the COP 26 Summit in Glasgow, Scotland by former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson.

Blackpink presented a video that called on world leaders to take climate change seriously at the conference.

Blackpink debuted in 2016, consisting of the still-unchanged lineup of Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo and Rosé. The group has since achieved international success with hits like "Ddu-Du Ddu-du," "Kill This Love," and "Pink Venom."

The group’s Born Pink world tour began late last year and has grossed around $260.6 million so far, with 1.5 million tickets sold.

It is already the highest grossing girl group tour of all time, surpassing the previous record set by the Spice Girls' 2019 Reunion Tour ($78.2 million).

Arriving in London on Tuesday, Yoon will have four days in the country before heading to France for another visit, according to Reuters.