"Touching a panda with bare hands?" Amid criticism in China... Blackpink eventually withdraws "Experience Video Postponed"

A member of the girl group BLACKPINK holding a baby panda in the teaser for the web variety show '24/365 with BLACKPINK'. Photo by Global Times

[Asia Economy Reporter Nana] BLACKPINK faced criticism in China after they touched a panda, known as a 'national treasure' in China, with bare hands during the filming of a web variety show. In response, BLACKPINK's side decided not to release the footage.

On the 7th, YG Entertainment, the agency of girl group BLACKPINK, announced on their official Twitter, "We have decided to withhold the final episode video of '24/365 with BLACKPINK,' which was scheduled to be uploaded today."

At the same time, BLACKPINK emphasized that they followed quarantine guidelines. The agency stated, "BLACKPINK's Everland zookeeper experience was conducted under the participation of professional veterinarians and zookeepers, with thorough quarantine management and hygiene rules strictly observed. Especially when meeting the baby panda, all members wore hygienic gloves, masks, and protective suits, and disinfected their hands and shoes at every scene change."

However, the agency added, "Based on recommendations from conservation experts that non-professionals having close contact with baby pandas could cause misunderstandings on another level, and out of respect for international cooperative relations, we have decided to withhold the video release."

Previously, BLACKPINK sparked controversy in China after a preview video was released showing them touching the baby panda, Fubao, born recently at Everland in Yongin City, without gloves or masks.

China's Global Times criticized BLACKPINK in 2016 as well, stating that they sometimes failed to follow quarantine rules when touching the panda Hwani, who came to Korea.

Chinese netizens criticized BLACKPINK's actions, saying they could harm the health of the panda, designated as a first-class protected animal and 'national treasure' in China.

On Weibo (微博), a Chinese social networking service, the hashtag '#KoreanCelebrityTouchedPandaInWrongWay#' recorded hundreds of millions of views.

The China Wildlife Conservation Association, after seeing the footage, sent a letter to Everland, demanding that non-professionals stop contacting the baby panda and that broadcasting related content be halted.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.