SEOUL, March 7 — Oscar-winning South Korean director Bong Joon-ho is facing criticism from Blackpink fans after he omitted Lisa’s name while mentioning other members of the group in a recent interview.
In a promotional interview for his upcoming sci-fi film Mickey 17 on BuzzFeed Celeb’s YouTube channel, Bong named Blackpink as his favourite K-pop group.
When asked about his favourite member, he responded, “Rose, Jisoo, Jennie,” before pausing briefly and adding, “All of them.”
Some fans criticised the director for not naming Lisa, with comments accusing him of hypocrisy for promoting diversity in his films while allegedly holding prejudiced views.
Others speculated that Lisa’s omission reflected a broader pattern of discrimination.
“There’s even a term ‘OT3,’ which stands for ‘one true three,’ used by Blackpink fans who only support Jennie, Jisoo and Rose,” a Thai K-pop fan told The Korea Herald yesterday.
“Ever since Lisa’s debut, some Thai fans have felt she was being mistreated because of her nationality.”
Some fans defended Bong, arguing that he may have simply forgotten Lisa’s name. One post pointed out that not everyone knows the names of all K-pop idols.
Lisa, a Thai national, debuted with Blackpink in 2016. While Rose and Jennie have lived abroad, Lisa is the only foreign-born member, which has at times fuelled perceptions that she is treated differently.
Before Lisa’s solo debut in 2021 with Lalisa, some international fans claimed she received fewer individual opportunities in Korea than other members. YG Entertainment has never commented on such claims.
At the 2019 Golden Disc Awards in Seoul, Lisa was seen standing slightly apart from the other members at certain moments, leading to online speculation that she was being excluded.
Lisa left YG Entertainment as a solo artist in 2023 and established her agency, Lloud, in February 2024. However, she renewed her contract with YG for Blackpink’s group activities.
Bong, best known for Parasite, made history at the 2020 Academy Awards when the film won Best Picture, becoming the first non-English language film to do so.
His latest project, Mickey 17, stars Robert Pattinson and is set for release in 2025.
On Sunday, Lisa became the first K-pop singer to perform at the Academy Awards, taking the stage at the 97th Oscars to sing Live and Let Die from the James Bond film series.
