BLACKPINK’s Rose “It’s Important to Manage Your Mental Health by Talking to Others When You Feel Lonely in the Face of Public Criticism” [TEN Focus].

Rose, a member of the K-pop group BLACKPINK, attended an event for the spouses of leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. At the event, Rose shared her belief in the importance of discussing mental struggles with those around us.

According to the White House and the Presidential Office, Jill Biden, the First Lady of the United States, hosted a mental health event for the spouses of APEC summit participants on the 17th (local time) at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California.

In addition to South Korea’s First Lady, Kim Geon-hee, the spouse of President Yoon Seok-yeol, the event was attended by the spouses of leaders from Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Apple CEO Tim Cook.

First Lady Biden surprised attendees by inviting Rose, whom she introduced as a “young woman of astounding talent and courage” and a “popular solo artist and lead singer of the Korean pop group BLACKPINK.”

Rose reportedly shared her belief that it’s essential to discuss and manage mental struggles with those around us. According to the Associated Press, Rose revealed that she often feels vulnerable to mental health issues, especially when she’s under public scrutiny and criticism.

“No matter how hard I try, I sometimes feel that what I do is never enough. There are always people who have strong opinions and try to control the situation,” she said. “Even though it makes me feel lonely, it’s important to discuss these issues. Just as physical health is important, so is mental health.”

In relation to this, First Lady Biden also added, “There are times when we hide, keep secret, and ignore mental health issues, but we can only start healing when we expose and honestly discuss them.”

Written by Jiye Choi, Ten Asia journalist wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr