Blackpink marks 10th debut anniversary: 'We love and thank our fans'

Girl group Blackpink marked its 10th debut anniversary with a live broadcast Saturday, telling fans "it's already been 10 years" and expressing gratitude.

Jisoo, the group's oldest member, opened the fan communication platform Weverse Live session Saturday afternoon by saying, "Today is the day Blackpink turns 10. It's an important day for us. We're grateful."

Blackpink's Jisoo makes a finger heart toward fans before entering KBS headquarters in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, ahead of her appearance on the KBS radio program "Park Myung-soo's Radio Show" on Feb. 19 last year. [Newsis]

Rosé said the decade had passed quickly. "They say time flies when you're enjoying yourself — 10 years really did go by fast," she said. "It doesn't feel like 10 years."

Rosé had prepared a cake and bouquets in advance and presented them to her fellow members. Jennie beamed and called her "our team's romantic," then looked at the live chat and said, "So many people are congratulating us."

Lisa spoke about her nerves ahead of the day. "Today I was so nervous I couldn't even eat. I was listening to Blackpink songs even while getting my hair and makeup done," she said, showing her affection for the group.

Blackpink, which debuted on Aug. 8, 2016, marked its 10th anniversary Saturday with a meet-and-greet event at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, held for 40 fans.

The event drew some disappointment from the fandom, known as Blink, after the announcement went up just two days earlier, on Thursday, and fans learned it would be a small-scale gathering limited to 40 people.

Jisoo addressed the frustration directly. "We ended up preparing a small event. Originally, we wanted to see many more of you. We knew it was an important day, but I think we had a communication problem on our end. We're sorry," she said. She added: "We wanted Saturday to be a joyful and happy day. To the Blinks who feel a little let down — I want to say I'm sorry and that I love you. I hope you understand how we feel."

Blackpink performs at the Tokyo Dome on their world tour. [Yonhap]

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