‘Blipping’ Rose shares her mental health experience with APEC Heads of State…”Conversation is key” (synthesis).

BLACKPINK’s Rosé, September 25, 2022. /News1 © News1 Kwon Hyun-jin Reporter

Rosé, a member of the K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, has attracted attention for sharing her experiences with mental health with the spouses of leaders attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

According to the White House, Jill Biden, the wife of U.S. President Joe Biden, hosted a mental health event for the spouses of APEC summit participants on November 17 (local time) at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California.

Rosé was invited to the event by First Lady Biden, and was joined by Kim Geon-hee, as well as the spouses of leaders from Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Apple CEO Tim Cook.  

First Lady Biden introduced Rosé at the event, saying, “It’s an honor to introduce a young woman of remarkable talent and courage who uses her platform as a force for good in the world. She’s a global superstar, an incredibly popular solo artist, and the lead singer of the K-pop group BLACKPINK.”

Biden continued, “She is also an advocate who actively speaks out for mental health, hoping to help others by bravely sharing her story.”

“I’m grateful that she (Rosé) accepted my invitation, and I’m thankful to Mrs. Kim for supporting my efforts,” Biden added.

According to the White House press corps, Rosé said at the event, “I’ve come to realize that mental health is never an easy subject. It required a lot of patience and, above all, a lot of attention from me. Just as we consume food for better physical health and strength, mental health, like physical health, requires more intentional effort to maintain.”

Rosé added, “I hope we can always remember that our worth is not determined by where we are right now.”

Rosé also shared her experiences with mental health in relation to social media during a roundtable discussion on the topic of ‘loneliness and isolation surrounding social media and its impact on mental health’.

“From my experience, there are times when I feel that some of the things I do are never enough, and no matter how hard I try at something, there will always be someone who has their own opinion or enjoys leading the narrative,” she said. “So it comes to me as loneliness.”  

Rosé revealed that having a large following on social media makes her feel particularly vulnerable when people are critical.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m being followed by a lot of people. They’re not always on my side,” she said. “I just feel vulnerable to this massive following throughout this journey. So I think social media has an impact on me.”

Despite the difficulties, Rosé emphasized the importance of having conversations about these issues.

Presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon relayed that Rosé’s journey to success as a singer was not easy and that she still faces challenges, but she has realized the importance of valuing her self-worth.

Rosé expressed her hope that her music, based on these experiences, would inspire and comfort many people.

In response to Rosé’s remarks, First Lady Biden called it a “powerful message”, saying, “It’s inspiring to see her raise this important issue and help others emerge from the darkness.”

Kim Geon-hee encouraging the choir at a luncheon meeting with Korean compatriots at a hotel in San Francisco, USA, on November 15 (local time). (Provided by the Presidential Office) November 16, 2023 /News1 © News1 Ahn Eun-na Reporter

First Lady Biden added, “Too often we hide, keep secret, and ignore these issues, but we need to expose and talk about them honestly to start healing.”

Following Rosé, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, said, “We feel a sense of responsibility to be part of the solution,” and added, “We never want people to spend a lot of time on the iPhone.”

He stated, “In my opinion, if you’re spending more time on your cell phone, you’re looking into someone’s eyes, and you’re doing something wrong.”

To this, First Lady Biden responded, “That’s very romantic.”  

Mrs. Kim expressed her agreement during the roundtable discussion when Mrs. Biden said that now that modern technology has made communication between people smoother, efforts should be made for mental health to combat feelings of isolation and anxiety.

Mrs. Kim noted, “Korea has a characteristic of being a competitive society where everyone is very conscious of each other.”

She also expressed, “A lot of emotions are involved due to excessive competitiveness, and so we get tired more easily,” and expressed her hope that these issues would be improved through various mental health programs.

Furthermore, Mrs. Kim expressed her gratitude to Rosé for sharing her difficult story, and encouraged her by saying that the global influence of K-pop, including BLACKPINK, and Korean culture is tremendous, and she looks forward to being moved by her music and positive messages in the future.

Mrs. Kim also toured the Apple Experience Space, where she previewed the mental health-related technology of the Apple Vision Pro and Apple Watch, which are set to be released next year. She took a walk in Apple Park and visited Apple’s circular office building.

Mrs. Kim noted that Apple Park is an innovative building in terms of environmental aspects, and also appreciated the existence of ‘serenity rooms’ for meditation and prayer in all buildings as part of efforts for mental health.

Mrs. Kim said, “I am impressed by Apple’s architecture that aims for eco-friendliness and carbon neutrality, and the meticulous space creation that values the mental health of employees,” and expressed her hope that such spaces would become more common in Korea.

Mrs. Kim and Mrs. Biden recalled their visit to the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. during the state visit in April, where they viewed works by Mark Rothko together, and also discussed the connection between Apple founder Steve Jobs and Mark Rothko.

First Lady Biden expressed her gratitude for Mrs. Kim’s participation in the APEC spouse program focused on mental health, an area in which Mrs. Kim has shown active interest and involvement.

gayunlove@news1.kr