Blackpink’s Jennie inspires Chinese fans to help disadvantaged girls

By Yi Nuo Source:Global Times Published: 2020/1/15 23:36:15

Birthday celebration poster for Blackpink’s Jennie Photo: Courtesy of Paint It Black_JN

K-pop girl band Blackpink member Jennie, whose full name is Jennie Kim, has inspired her Chinese fans to help disadvantaged girls in remote impoverished areas of China as part of their birthday celebrations for their idol. 

Born on January 16, 1996, the South Korean star debuted as a member of Blackpink in 2016 and has been performing vocal and rap parts on stage. Rising with the surging fame of the girl group worldwide, Jennie enjoys immense popularity in China and has been prominent on China’s Twitter-like Sina Weibo. 

She aroused a lot of attention and discussion on social media platforms with her elegant and cute appearances, such as wearing a Tricotine and Sequin bow tie dress at an event in Beijing or having a pigtail hairstyle at a concert in Japan.

“Jennie is so chic and charming every time when she appears in public,” said Jin (pseudonym), a fan who is an administrator of one of Jennie’s fan clubs in China. “Jennie is a brand ambassador for Chanel as well as South Korean cosmetic brand Hera,” Jin said.

“Jennie is a kind-hearted girl and has attended many public service activities. Under the influence of such a positive idol, we would like to try our best to help as many people as we can,” Jin told the Global Times.

As a part of Jennie’s birthday celebrations, fans donated 2,320 yuan ($336.88) to two charitable programs launched by two different Chinese welfare foundations to help disadvantaged girls. One program aims to help around 650 middle school teenage girls to prevent them from dropping out of school due to financial problems. The other aims to provide material help and psychological care and guidance for girls among the left-behind children when they enter puberty.

Jennie herself experienced malicious comments when attending a livestream promotional event for Samsung Indonesia on Tuesday, according to South Korean news site Koreaboo. Fans claimed that the star was on the brink of tears and they were not allowed to organize a birthday celebration at the event for the star who will have her 24th birthday on Thursday. Hashtag #JennieDeservesBetter was on the worldwide Twitter trending list afterwards, with netizens asking for fairer treatment for the star.

As well as helping disadvantaged girls, Chinese fans have also been displaying Jennie’s videos and posters on electronic billboards in Southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, subway stations in South Korea and on a high street in Las Vegas, America.

Posted in: CULTURE & LEISURE

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