After facing controversies over sovereignty disputes, BLACKPINK’s concert in Vietnam will proceed as normal.
K-pop girl group BLACKPINK will be able to perform in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, despite controversy over China’s “Nine-Dash Line” related to China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.
According to local media on July 25, the Hanoi People’s Committee announced that it has approved BLACKPINK’s “BORN PINK” World Tour, which was scheduled to be held at the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi from July 29 to 30.
Several Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines, are at odds with China over the sovereignty problem in the South China Sea. In particular, China has drawn a territorial line called “Nine-Dash Line” in the South China Sea and claims that 90 percent of it is in its territorial waters. In August 2016, however, the international arbitral tribunal concluded that China’s “Nine-Dash Line” in the South China Sea is “invalid” and that China does not have “historic rights” over the disputed region. Nonetheless, China insists on making the claim.
Meanwhile, Vietnam – the host country for the upcoming BLACKPINK concert in Southeast Asia – has been particularly stern with works containing the “Nine-Dash Line.” They ban the screening and broadcast of content that contradicts the Vietnamese government’s official position on the South China Sea. Some of the banned works include Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” “Uncharted” starring Tom Holland, and the Chinese drama “Flight to You.”
As a result, BLACKPINK’s concert in Hanoi was embroiled in an unexpected controversy due to its organizer, iME. In particular, a map on the homepage of iME’s headquarter website features the “Nine-Dash Line,” prompting opposition to BLACKPINK’s concert and opinions that the performance should be banned.
In response, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam launched an investigation, saying that the promotion and use of publications or products marking the “Nine-Dash Line” violate Vietnamese law and are not acceptable.
In response, iME announced that it would change the map image posted on its website. Brian Chow, CEO of iME, said in a statement, “The image of the map on the website does not represent the territory of any country and we are aware of respecting the sovereignty and culture of all the countries”, adding, “iME quickly reviewed and committed to replace the images that are not suitable for Vietnamese.”
With the approval of the Hanoi People’s Committee, BLACKPINK’s world tour performance will proceed as scheduled. The number of concert-goers is expected to reach 36,000 and 31,000, respectively, for two days. The Vietnamese government asked related agencies, including public security, to have safety measures ahead of the performances.
Source: sisajournal, ABC News, Forbes
