BLACKPINK’s Rosé faces criticism for her Instagram post amid South Korea's devastating wildfires

On March 29, 2025, BLACKPINK’s Rosé made headlines with her Instagram post, following the wildfires that plagued South Korea.

Since March 21, South Korea has been affected by its most extreme case of wildfires, particularly in the southeast region of the country. It has led to over 27,000 evacuations and had significant impacts on both natural and cultural heritage.

Amid this catastrophe, Rosé posted an Instagram story showcasing a fan’s take on one of her recent outfits, with the caption:

"These are a few of my favorite things…"

This did not sit well with some people online, who thought it was disrespectful considering the ongoing crisis. Those few netizens expressed their opinions on the Korean online forum, Nate Pann, and allegedly criticized Rosé's Instagram story.

Meanwhile, Rosé's supporters defended her on Nate Pann and said that her post had no connection with the wildfires, and hence, the criticism towards her seemed misplaced.

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South Korea's wildfires crisis: 28 confirmed deaths, massive infrastructure destruction, and more

AP News reported on March 27, 2025, that the wildfires have taken at least 28 lives, including a helicopter pilot and two firefighters who were trying to put them out. Most of those who died were senior citizens.

Additionally, 26 other people were hurt, nine of whom were in serious conditions. The tragedy forced approximately 37,800 people from the surrounding areas to evacuate as public officials protected them to safety from the fire disaster.

Moreover, according to AP News on March 27, the wildfires burned a large area, with estimates ranging from at least about 45,000 hectares (111,000 acres) to as much as 60,000 hectares (148,000 acres).

The wildfires in March 2025 are recorded as the largest wildfires in South Korea's history. Over 300 buildings were lost, including homes, factories, and vehicles. Thousands of people lost their dwelling space and suffered considerable economic loss.

One of the buildings that was lost was the Gounsa Temple, an important cultural and religious site that dates back to 681 AD. The temple took a big hit, with two of its three national treasures destroyed.

Firefighters, who were working to protect other cultural spots like the Hahoe Folk Village, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage list, was threatened by the approaching fire.

As a result of the increasing crisis, the South Korean government has issued a disaster declaration in the seriously affected areas. Acting President Han Duck-soo said that the damage is very serious and pointed out the necessity to come together to put out the fires.

“Damages are snowballing. There are concerns that we’ll have wildfire damages that we’ve never experienced, so we have to concentrate all our capabilities to put out the wildfires in the rest of this week,” acting President Han Duck-soo said.

Approximately 9,000 firefighters have been sent to manage the fire along with more than 130 helicopters. The fire was difficult to control as it spread rapidly in mountain areas due to high winds and dry conditions. The wildfires have damaged property, posed a threat to the environment, and impacted human health.

The air quality in areas that were impacted was expected to be extremely poor, containing high concentrations of fine particle matter in the air. For example, the concentration of PM2.5 in Andong city was measured at 557 µg/m³. This is about seven times worse than an extremely poor air quality standard.

Numerous Korean stars stepped forward to help the wildfire victims and more importantly, start the process of rebuilding. Actors IU, Suzy, Kim Ji-won, Park Bo-young, Choi Woo-shik, Yim Si-wan, Byeon Woo-seok, and many more donated to the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association.

In the K-Pop arena, BTS members Jungkook, j-hope, Namjoon, and SUGA each donated to the cause. K-Pop groups SEVENTEEN, LE SSERAFIM, PLAVE, and IVE pitched in as well. Additionally, members of TWICE Jihyo, NCT Haechan, EXO Baekhyun, and many more idols joined the list.