Recently, director Bong Joon-ho, who is in the spotlight for his new work 'Mickey 17,' is under attack from Thai netizens for allegedly being racist against BLACKPINK member Lisa.
In an interview video released on the YouTube channel BuzzFeed Celeb on the 3rd, director Bong Joon-ho answered the question about his 'favorite K-pop group' with 'BLACKPINK.' He then responded to the question about his 'favorite member' with 'Rosé, Jisoo, Jennie,' and after a brief pause as if he couldn't remember well, he said 'everyone.'
BuzzFeed is a U.S. news website, and BuzzFeed Celeb primarily showcases interview content they conduct. The BuzzFeed Celeb YouTube channel has over 3.87 million subscribers. The interview was conducted to promote the film 'Mickey 17.'
After the interview was released, backlash arose from Thai netizens, primarily because the unnamed member referred to was Lisa. Some comments written in Thai included harsh statements such as 'discrimination in Korean society,' 'nationalistic and disgusting,' and 'it seemed like he was reflecting diversity in his film, but he turned out to be a stupid racist.' Furthermore, it was not difficult to find reactions that belittled director Bong Joon-ho's appearance.
Not only in Thailand but also in other countries, there is backlash questioning, 'Can’t you remember the name Lisa?' It has been asserted that director Bong Joon-ho's comments were 'intentional.' Lisa is from Thailand and debuted as a member of BLACKPINK domestically. While other BLACKPINK members like Rosé and Jennie have histories of living abroad, Lisa is the only foreign member.