South Korean girl band Blackpink before the Buckingham Palace banquet for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee. Photo / AP
South Korean girl band Blackpink before the Buckingham Palace banquet for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee. Photo / AP
King Charles has honoured K-pop band Blackpink for their work in raising awareness about climate change, as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged closer co-operation between their two countries on technology and defence.
On Wednesday, the second day ofYoon’s three-day state visit to London, Charles made Blackpink members Jennie Kim, Jisoo Kim and Lalisa Manoban honorary Members of the Order of the British Empire.
Bandmate Roseanne (Rose) Park was also made an MBE, though that came without the “honorary” qualifier because she has dual citizenship in New Zealand, one of the 14 countries where the British monarch is head of state.
The honours were presented during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in recognition of Blackpink’s role in promoting the work of the COP26 summit on climate change two years ago in Glasgow, Scotland. The awards are part of Britain’s honours system, which recognises outstanding service to the nation and the wider world.
Charles had lauded the K-pop girl group on Tuesday during a state banquet in honour of Yoon and First Lady Kim Keon Hee “for their role in bringing the message of environmental sustainability to a global audience”.
South Korean girl band Blackpink, with Kiwi-born Roseanne Park, left, were honoured at Buckingham Palace for their work on climate change. Photo / AP
“I can only admire how they can prioritise these vital issues, as well as being global superstars,” Charles said at the banquet.
The Korean President is being treated to royal and diplomatic pomp on the visit, which the British Government hopes will help cement an “Indo-Pacific tilt " in its foreign and trade policy.
Yoon met Sunak at the British leader’s 10 Downing St residence for talks focused on trade, technology and defence.
To coincide with the visit, British and Korean officials began talks on an “upgraded” free trade agreement to replace their current deal, which largely replicates the arrangements Britain had before it left the European Union.
From left, Lisa (Lalisa Manoban), Rose (Roseanne Park), Jisoo Kim and Jennie Kim, from the K-Pop band Blackpink pose with their Honorary MBEs, Members of the Order of the British Empire, awarded to them in recognition of the band's role as COP26 advocates for the COP26 Summit in Glasgow 2021, in London. Photo / AP
The leaders also signed an agreement dubbed the “Downing Street Accord” pledging closer co-operation on defence and technology, including artificial intelligence. Britain hosted the first international AI Safety Summit this month, and South Korea intends to hold a follow-up event next year.
The two countries also agreed on joint naval patrols to curb smuggling and to enforce United Nations sanctions imposed on North Korea to curb its nuclear weapons ambitions.
“Your state visit underlies the deep partnership and friendship between our two countries and the signing of the Downing Street Accord today strengthens that friendship,” Sunak told the Korean leader.
Yoon has not commented directly on North Korea’s launch of a spy satellite on Tuesday. or its suspected failed missile test on Wednesday, both of which took place while he was in London.
In a speech to both houses of Britain’s Parliament on Tuesday, Yoon said Britain and South Korea would work together on “geopolitical risks like the war in Ukraine, the Israel and Hamas conflict, and the North Korean nuclear threats”.
“Korea stands united with the United Kingdom and the international community to fight against illegal aggression and provocations,” he said.
