BLACKPINK's Jisoo Distances Herself Amid Brother's Controversy; Credit Error in 'Monthly Boyfriend' Sparks Debate

BLACKPINK member Jisoo is distancing herself from her brother, who is embroiled in a criminal controversy. It has come to light that her brother's name was initially listed as the CEO of her agency, Blisoo, in the credits of the series 'Monthly Boyfriend,' in which Jisoo stars, but was later removed. Jisoo quietly departed the country, wearing a hat and mask, after canceling her scheduled airport appearance on the 22nd.

On the 21st, online communities circulated information that Jisoo's brother, Mr. Kim, was listed as the CEO of Blisoo in the initial credits of the Netflix series 'Monthly Boyfriend.'

In response, the 'Monthly Boyfriend' team stated, "Shortly after the series was released in early March, we identified an error in the actor management credit due to a production company's mistake and immediately corrected it." However, Mr. Kim's name still appears in the ending credits of Coupang Play's 'Newtopia,' released on February 7th last year.

Previously, on the 15th, the Seoul Gangnam Police Station announced the arrest of a man in his 30s, identified as Mr. A, on charges of forced molestation. Mr. A is accused of attempting inappropriate physical contact with a female BJ. Speculation arose that Mr. A is Jisoo's brother, leading to the current controversy.

On the 20th, Jisoo's legal representative, Hyunho Eun of Kim & Chang Law Office, stated, "The current issues being raised are entirely unrelated to the artist and Blisoo, and many of the online claims are unverified speculation or outright falsehoods." He further explained, "The artist has been independent since starting her trainee life at a young age and has been separated from her family for a long time, making it impossible for her to be aware of or involved in the individual's private life."

Regarding the connection between Blisoo and Jisoo's family, it was clarified, "The artist received limited advice and communication from family members during the establishment of Blisoo, but no family member has ever received compensation or participated in decision-making from then until now." It was also emphasized, "Since then, the company has been managed entirely independently without any involvement from family members, and the individual in question has no legal or managerial ties to Blisoo." The statement concluded with a stern warning of "immediate legal action, both civil and criminal."

Jisoo was scheduled for an airport appearance today (22nd) but canceled and quietly left the country. The event organizers cited "internal reasons," but there is speculation that Jisoo is avoiding public appearances due to the ongoing controversy.

By Ji-won Kim, TenAsia Reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr