"Embarrassing and weird" —  Fans react to Jill Biden's reported Lady Gaga & BLACKPINK concert dismissed over First Lady of Korea's alleged preference

Social media erupted with reactions to renewed claims that a proposed joint performance by BLACKPINK and Lady Gaga, suggested by Jill Biden, was rejected due to the alleged preferences of Kim Keon-hee, the First Lady of South Korea. The performance was planned for the Korea-U.S. Summit during then-President Yoon Suk-yeol's visit to the U.S. in April 2023, as per allkpop.

However, reports claim that the event was blocked, allegedly because Kim Keon-hee was uncomfortable with the presence of younger female performers, as per the same outlet. The claims resurfaced during a February 14, 2025, broadcast on YouTube when political commentator Park Seon-won discussed the issue with Assemblyman Kim Min-suk.

Park stated that Jill Biden, through the U.S. ambassador to South Korea, had suggested a collaborative performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Despite multiple attempts to relay the offer to the South Korean presidential office, it was reportedly obstructed by the National Security Office.

According to Park, insiders allegedly claimed Kim Keon-hee disapproved of the idea because she "dislikes being around younger women."

"They said that Kim Keon Hee did not like the idea. She does not like having young women around when she is present. The offer from Jill Biden ultimately fell through," he said.

The resurfaced claims ignited heated discussions online, with netizens criticizing the First Lady for allegedly letting personal insecurities interfere with a major cultural event. An X user, @moynihanangelic, wrote:

"That is weird… cuz , if I was the First Lady I would’ve been proud to have a gg like BLACKPINK representing my country but noooo she’s insecure about her looks.. bro you’re half their ages that’s embarrassing and weird af."

Social media platforms were flooded with reactions, ranging from disbelief to anger at BLACKPINK's performance.

"The misogyny is sooooo deep in korea that even the first lady blocked a joint concert of Lady Gaga and BLACKPINK. hating on women is on a different level in SK," a fan remarked.

"Imagine having all the goods in the world, but still feeling insecure about some young woman thriving. Jealousy is really a poison. We could have gotten lady gaga x bp if it wasn’t for that h*g," another person added.

"That's a whole new level of embarrassment and insecurity," an X user wrote.

"It's crazy just how many haters the girls have, these haters are everywhere, even in positions of influence and power. Put some respect to their name for surviving people and situations one can only imagine," a fan mentioned.

Many criticized the lack of support among women, while others expressed disappointment, stating they were "robbed" of witnessing the collaborative performance of Lady Gaga and BLACKPINK's Sour Candy.

"women be women's own biggest opps sometimes like just weird," an X user wrote.

"We were robbed from such an iconic moment," another user added.

"So women hate successful women. Yikes," a fan commented.

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Diplomatic fallout and internal shake-up following BLACKPINK and Lady Gaga's performance's rejected proposal

A collaborative performance by BLACKPINK and Lady Gaga was reportedly canceled (Image via Getty)

The fallout from the blocked BLACKPINK proposal reportedly led to significant internal tensions. According to the recent live YouTube broadcast, President Yoon Suk-yeol was furious upon learning about the dismissed offer. His anger resulted in a major shake-up within his diplomatic and security team.

Key officials, including the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Secretary of Protocol, and Chief of Security, were replaced in March 2023—just weeks before the U.S. visit.

"Yoon Seok Yeol was furious, and several high ranking officials like the secretary of foreign affairs, the secretary of protocol, and the chief of security were fired as a result," Park Seon-won said on the broadcast.

The proposal from Jill Biden was not only meant to commemorate the Korea-U.S. Summit. Still, it was also seen as a symbolic event, uniting two major global acts representing the United States and South Korea. Additionally, the performance was speculated to align with U.S. domestic political strategy, potentially aiding Joe Biden's re-election campaign, with BLACKPINK's global appeal.

According to sources, President Joe Biden had hoped the BLACKPINK's performance would symbolize U.S.-Korea relations and appeal to younger and multicultural voters ahead of his re-election campaign, as per a report by newstomato.com.

Meanwhile, the South Korean presidential office attempted to downplay the incident, stating that the performance was never part of the official visit schedule.

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However, the public and international reaction remained largely critical, with many viewing the issue as an embarrassing diplomatic blunder caused by personal bias and internal miscommunication.