BLACKPINK member Lisa faces criticism over trainee experiences

BLACKPINK member Lisa has sparked a social media debate after discussing her experiences as a foreign trainee in South Korea during an interview on the podcast The Standard Knd.

Lisa described the difficulties of navigating a language barrier, noting that her agency implemented a rule prohibiting anyone from speaking English to her. She explained that she was taught Korean using only Korean, despite having no prior understanding of the language, which led to moments of extreme frustration and near-tears. She credited this strict immersion approach, along with practicing with fellow member Jisoo, for her eventual fluency.

The comments have drawn polarized reactions. While many fans expressed sympathy for the hardships she faced as a young foreign trainee, some critics have labeled her remarks as ungrateful or entitled, arguing that language immersion is a standard part of the training process for those choosing to work in a foreign country.