Blackpink’s Jennie apologizes after vaping video draws scrutiny

Jennie Kim, the main rapper of the Korean girl group Blackpink, has apologized days after a video of her vaping drew public interest in South Korea.

In the short clip, Jennie takes a puff indoors and exhales white smoke while receiving make-up from her staff.

It was earlier part of the rapper’s YouTube vlog uploaded last 2 July, but it was deleted since then.

The apology was issued by Odd Atelier, a recording label found by Jennie last 2023.

“Jennie acknowledges and deeply regrets her mistake of vaping indoors and causing inconvenience to the staff. Jennie has personally apologized to all the staff-on-site who may have been affected,” the statement reads on X.

Odd Atelier added that they also apologize to Jennie’s fans, who have been disappointed by the incident.

In South Korea, smoking indoors, especially in non-smoking areas, is heavily prohibited and can bear huge fines.

Violators can be slapped with fines up to 100,000 won or at least P4,200.

Report with the Korean embassy

The netizen, identified as “A,” reported the vaping incident to the Korean Embassy in Italy as he believed that the incident happened in Capri, Italy, where Jennie attended an event for a French fashion design brand.

In Italy, there is also a strict smoking ban in indoor places, where violators can be fined up to 250 euros, or at least P16,000.

Blackpink’s Jennie is not the first K-Pop idol to be put in hot waters over the indoor smoking controversy. Exo’s D.O. and actor Ji Chang Wook were also involved in indoor smoking issues before.