SEOUL – YG Entertainment issued an apology on July 7 following backlash over obstructed-view seats at Blackpink’s long-awaited Deadline world tour concerts in Goyang, Gyeonggi province, promising refunds for affected audience members.

The South Korea shows kicked off the quartet’s first full reunion since their Born Pink world tour in 2022 and 2023.

“We sincerely apologise to those who experienced difficulty viewing the stage from the N3 section during Blackpink’s concert over the weekend,” said the South Korean company which represents the K-pop girl group.

“A console was installed in front of the section, so we added an extended LED screen in an effort to improve the viewing environment. However, this unintentionally caused further discomfort, and we deeply regret the outcome.

“We will take follow-up measures for those who have submitted complaints about the N3 section. Further details will be provided via the ticketing platform.”

YG Entertainment confirmed to The Korea Herald that all refund requests for tickets in the affected area will be processed.

The controversy erupted after Blackpink held back-to-back concerts on July 5 and 6 at Goyang Sports Complex as part of their long-awaited reunion, with some fans in the N3 section reporting that they were unable to see the stage at all due to a large screen structure blocking their view.

Labelled as regular “B-seats”, tickets for this area were priced at 132,000 won (S$123) – more expensive than “restricted view” seats, which cost 99,000 won.

Fans criticised the company online, dubbing the seats “no-view zone” and “sight-giving-up seats”, and accusing YG of prioritising profit over fairness in the seating arrangements. Some audience members demanded ticket refunds immediately after the show, citing a frustrating viewing experience.

Lisa performs at the opening shows of Blackpink's Deadline tour, which took place on July 5 and 6.

PHOTO: YG ENTERTAINMENT

Blackpink is set to continue its Deadline world tour across 16 cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, New York, Paris, Barcelona, London, Kaohsiung, Singapore, Tokyo and Hong Kong, with 31 stadium-scale shows in total.

The girls’ triumphant return to the stage in front of 78,000 fans over two days were graced by fellow K-pop stars such as Nayeon and Jihyo from Twice; J-Hope from BTS; Irene and Seulgi from Red Velvet; Minnie from I-dle; Mingyu, Jeonghan and The8 from Seventeen; as well as girl groups Babymonster and Le Sserafim.

South Korean actors like Lee Min-ho and the cast of Snowdrop (2021 to 2022) were also in attendance. Blackpink member Jisoo had previously acted in the political K-drama alongside Jung Hae-in, Heo Nam-jun, Jung Shin-hye and Yoon Se-ah.

Jennie takes the stage for her solo acts at Blackpink's Deadline tour.

PHOTO: YG ENTERTAINMENT

For over two hours, Blackpink powered through a set list of 27 songs packed with hits. They also debuted their new number Jump.

“This song is super addictive, isn’t it?” Jisoo asked the crowd about Jump. “We wanted you to be the first to hear it. Please give it lots of love when it is released.”

Interspersed throughout the concert were solo performances from Lisa, Jennie, Rose and Jisoo that highlighted each member’s growth during their individual careers.

“We’re so grateful to kick off this tour in Goyang,” said Jennie. “It’s bittersweet to leave, but we can’t wait to meet Blinks all over the world again soon.” THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK 

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