King Charles III of the United Kingdom has honored the K-pop band Blackpink during South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to London, AP News reports.
Blackpink members Jennie Kim, Jisoo Kim, Lalisa Manoban, and Roseanne (Rosé) Park were made honorary Members of the Order of the British Empire, with Roseanne Park receiving the distinction without the “honorary” qualifier due to her dual citizenship in New Zealand.
The honors were presented during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in recognition of Blackpink’s efforts in promoting the work of the COP26 summit on climate change in Glasgow two years ago.
The state visit also involved discussions between President Yoon and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on trade, technology, and defense, with the signing of the “Downing Street Accord” to enhance cooperation in defense and technology, including artificial intelligence.
