$5 rice cake becomes symbol of BLACKPINK fans' frustration over 10th anniversary
BLACKPINK / Captured from Weverse
BLACKPINK's 10th anniversary was supposed to be a celebration of a decade at the top of K-pop. Instead, some longtime fans are asking how such a major milestone could feel so hastily put together.
Frustration has spread among fans in Korea and overseas over what they see as insufficient preparation and communication surrounding the group's 10th anniversary, with criticism ranging from a last-minute meet-and-greet and its small scale to a group livestream that lasted only about 10 minutes.
For many fans, however, the issue is not the size or cost of the celebration. Their complaint is strikingly simple: After waiting through long periods with relatively little group activity, they wanted the four members to spend meaningful time together with fans on a once-in-a-lifetime anniversary.
"Where else would you find a fandom this easy to please, and they still couldn't do it?" one online reaction said.
BLACKPINK marked the 10th anniversary of its debut on Saturday, but controversy had already begun before the anniversary arrived.
A special 10th-anniversary meet-and-greet was announced just two days before the event. Its exact venue and time were not immediately disclosed, and fans were initially told that only members whose schedules allowed would participate.
It was later changed to an event attended by all four members — Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa — but that did little to erase questions about why an event commemorating a decade since BLACKPINK's debut appeared to have been arranged at such short notice.
The event itself was also small, with around 40 fans participating. Attendees received bouquets and rice cakes as gifts, and the latter attracted particular attention online after reports that they cost around 6,900 won ($5) each.
But fans stressed that the rice cake itself was not the real problem.
"If even one member had properly paid attention to it, would it have turned out like this?" one reaction said, reflecting broader criticism that the event did not appear to have received the level of preparation.
A group livestream featuring all four members also failed to satisfy some fans. While seeing the quartet together was itself a rarity, it lasted only about 10 minutes.
Jennie also drew attention for implying that livestreaming still felt awkward even after 10 years. For some fans, the comment inadvertently underscored just how rarely the four members have directly interacted with fans in recent years.
"If they had just sat down for an hour and talked about the past 10 years, we wouldn't have been this disappointed," one reaction said.
"We didn't need some huge event. We just wanted to see the four of them talking together," another said.
Others questioned BLACKPINK's broader approach to group promotions, asking whether releasing music and a music video should count as a full-group comeback and calling for more substantial activities involving all four members.
The frustration was not limited to Korean fans. Disappointed comments in Korean, English and other languages appeared across the members' social media accounts as overseas fans joined the discussion.
The timing has made the reaction particularly emotional.
A 10th anniversary carries special significance in K-pop, where groups that have slowed or suspended activities sometimes reunite for anniversary albums, performances or other special content. Expectations were high that BLACKPINK would use the milestone to look back on its career and spend time with the fandom that had followed it for a decade.
Fans say they were not necessarily demanding a major concert or an elaborate comeback. Many simply hoped that Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa would spend the day together reflecting on the past 10 years and communicating with BLINK, BLACKPINK's official fandom.
BLACKPINK / Xportsnews
The anniversary also comes at a distinctive point in BLACKPINK's career. The four members renewed their contracts with YG Entertainment for group activities while pursuing solo careers through separate management arrangements.
As their individual careers have occupied an increasing share of their schedules, opportunities to see all four together have become less frequent.
When additional footage of the four members interacting with fans together later emerged, it prompted another question from some supporters: If they could all gather, why had more time not been set aside from the beginning?
The intensity of the backlash also appears to reflect frustrations that had accumulated well before the anniversary.
BLACKPINK has remained active through global tours, overseas schedules and members' individual projects, while full-group activities in Korea and direct communication with fans has been relatively limited. Many fans nevertheless continued supporting the members individually while waiting for the group to reunite.
But the anniversary proved a breaking point for some.
"We understood even when there weren't Korean promotions, and we waited even when they were busy overseas, but I never thought the 10th anniversary would pass like this," one person said.
"Even the fans who kept defending them are exhausted now," another said.
Some longtime fans have even posted messages on social media saying they are leaving the fandom.
Jisoo directly apologized several times after seeing fans' disappointment.
"My heart feels heavy because so many BLINKs are upset," she said on a fan communication platform.
Jisoo also became emotional while reading handwritten letters from fans at the anniversary event. After her tears prompted speculation online, she sought to clarify their meaning.
BLACKPINK / Xportsnews
"I hope people don't attach too many meanings to it," she said, explaining that she had been moved by the fact that BLACKPINK and its fans had spent 10 years together.
She also said she hoped there would be "no more negative talk or endless speculation."
Ultimately, the controversy is less about the price of a rice cake or the number of people invited than limited opportunities for direct interaction with the full group.
Perhaps the most striking part of the backlash is how modest that request was. For fans who had waited a decade, an hour of seeing the four members sit together and talk might have been enough.
Whether the unusually vocal disappointment leads to changes in BLACKPINK's future group activities and communication with fans remains to be seen.
This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.