'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
BLACKPINK Rosé gave a speech at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on November 17, 2023 (PST). She was invited to be a part of the jury by the First Lady of the United States to discuss the importance of mental health. The event was brought together by the spouses of the world's top leaders to raise awareness about mental health.
The organization's main objective is to advance commerce, investment, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific area through sustainable economic growth. Each year, the forum is hosted by one of the 21 economies that make up APEC.
K-pop sensation Rosé stated on Friday at a First Lady Jill Biden-hosted mental health awareness event that it's critical for the public to recognize that even celebrities experience psychological challenges. BLACKPINK supergroup member Rosé claimed that having a sizable social media following made her feel exposed, especially to criticism.
She said,
“I think that would be very great, for everybody who works under the public eye."
After her speech on mental health, her fans expressed their views on social media and wrote, "The words are so powerful."
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan, President Xi Jinping of China, and President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea were among the leaders of the 21 member economies present at this Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held at Cupertino.
"Inspiration": Fans lauded BLACKPINK Rosé for her speech on mental health at APEC Cupertino
The On The Ground singer visited the Apple Campus to speak regarding measures to improve mental health during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Cupertino, California. Rosé attended the Cupertino event, which was hosted by US First Lady Jill Biden, as a guest of Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee.
On the morning of Friday, the BLACKPINK singer made an impact with her appearance and words at the APEC. She spoke on how talking more about one's mental and emotional struggles aids in lessening the burden, which was lauded by the panel members including Tim Cook.
The singer was introduced by First Lady Jill Biden as a worldwide personality who is making positive changes across borders with her platform. The First Lady further added how the On The Ground singer has been an advocate for mental health and has been a pinnacle in both her profession and in helping others fight their battles. She said,
"I look forward to hearing from you, but first, it is an honor to introduce a young woman of incredible talent and courage. A global superstar who is using her platform as a force for good in the world...She is also an outspoken advocate for mental health and has bravely shared her story in the hopes of helping others."
The BLACKPINK singer disclosed to the Associated Press (AP) that she feels susceptible since she has a substantial social media following, particularly whenever people are disapproving of her. She said,
"Just as we feed ourselves for better health and fitness, mental health can only be maintained equally — if not more intentionally — as our physical well being," as cited by the AP.
The On The Ground singer said that oftentimes she feels that her efforts are insufficient and that regardless of how hard she works on a project, someone will always have an opinion or seek to dictate the narrative. She continued to reiterate that this causes her to feel isolated in her life.
"I do feel like some of the things I do is just never enough, and no matter how hard I work on something, there’s always gonna be somebody who has their own opinion or who enjoy taking control of the narrative. And so, that comes to me as a sense of loneliness.”
Fans of the BLACKPINK Rosé were on cloud nine as they took pride in her latest accomplishment of her. A fan, @April_Yves, wrote on X, "I was actually tuning in on this APEC event and I didn't expect Rosé to appear. I'm always been proud to say that this is the woman that I look up to, she is my IDOL and my inspiration, Ms. ROSÉ PARK."
Here are some more fans' reactions:
As the forerunner, Rosé not only represented K-pop but also the voice of her fans along with everyone who wanted to speak up about the importance of mental health. On November 17, 2023, she shattered boundaries as her speech at APEC made people feel seen and heard across borders.
More details from the 2023 APEC Summit held at Apple Campus in Cupertino
The conversation was one of many that Jill Biden organized this week in California for the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which was attended by the spouses of leaders in the Asia-Pacific region along with BLACKPINK Rosé. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy served as the event moderator. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, began the presentation but momentarily lost his train of thought when the teleprompter faltered.
To this, First Lady Jill Biden tried to make light of the matter and said that it is indeed funny whenever the teleprompter does that. The First Lady said,
“Don’t you hate that. I hate that."
In response to this light-hearted joke, Apple's CEO Tim Cook remarked that he would improvise since there was no other choice and said “I will go ahead and ad-lib."
Furthermore, Papua New Guinean Prime Minister Rachael Marape, South Korea's First Lady Kim Keon Hee, and Philippine First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos were also in attendance.
In other developments, YG Entertainment has announced that they will announce the final status regarding BLACKPINK's contract renewal later on November 14, 2023. However, no date was mentioned by the music and artist management label.
As speculations of the members leaving the company become rife, other media outlets such as Seoul Sports reported that BLACKPINK Rosé might be the only member who has renewed the contract.
However, on November 15, 2023, news surfaced that BLACKPINK member Jennie has applied to trademark her name 'Jennie Ruby Jane' in ten categories in Korea Intellectual Property Information Services (KIPRIS). This has further made the fans speculate that the members may not be signing with YG Entertainment again.
