Jennie of BLACKPINK continues to face controversies over her recent trip to an arboretum in Paju City last week. Many netizens raised concerns, speculating whether she broke the country's social distancing rules.
The venue, as well as YG Entertainment, has already dismissed the allegations. However, the story remains in the spotlight after netizens revealed that they filed official complaints.
AllKpop said that one individual in an online community shared that some people have already reported the K-Pop idol to the health center in Paju. The same person, also, claimed that the official team in charge has reached out, saying that "they will review the case and will investigate to see if Jennie will be given a fine."
The BLACKPINK member "will be fined and will be subject to a penalty if the health administration checks the contents of the complaint more carefully." If proven to be guilty, she may, reportedly, pay $90, along with the rest of the company she was with during the trip.
The whole debacle began when the "SOLO" singer posted a series of photos on Instagram last April 14. She captioned the post, saying that it was "an outing."
One of the pictures shows seven individuals, and each is holding an ice cream. Many netizens immediately questioned why Jennie was with more than five people on her trip to an arboretum in Paju City. As noted, the public is prohibited from doing so.
Following the backlash, the K-Pop idol deleted the picture, causing more criticisms to emerge. While she has since maintained her silence, the arboretum released an official statement, clarifying that the trip was not personal.
Pinkvilla released a report, covering what the venue had said on their official website. As argued, the BLACKPINK member went there "for work and not for recreational purposes."
Alongside the explanation, the post, also, included a photo of Jennie, together with the staff members who worked with her. Later on in the blog, it asserted that the celebrity might have taken the photo in question after leaving the premises.
The following day, YG Entertainment released an announcement, echoing the arboretum's official statement. The label emphasized that the BLACKPINK vocalist "went to the arboretum to film content for a video."
Accordingly, they did not break any social distancing guidelines because it was for business. This is because a group of individuals may gather in a venue when it is for professional and official purposes.
