East Asia Tonight - Wed 18 Jun 2025

48:00 Min
Spotlight on East Asia, a region steeped in history and now helping to write the future of our world. We'll break down the key stories and explain why they matter.
East Asia Tonight
About the show:
'East Asia Tonight' shines a spotlight on a region steeped in history and now helping to write the future of our world. Greater China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula have economic and political might, and are major drivers of daily news and business. We'll break down the key stories and explain why they matter.

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Independent Singapore

5 hours ago

• Independent Singapore

'Lazy!' and 'Overpriced!' — BLACKPINK fans demand new tour merch be better than just ‘Plastic Bag Basics'

Photo: IG/Blackpink + X/YGJAPANofficial Picture this: you stroll into the Deadline pop-up shop, expecting flashy, collectible goodies… and all you walk away with is a single-layer plastic bag. Oh, and it costs about 24,000 KRW ($18). Yep, that's the crown jewel of BLACKPINK tour merchandise, and it's been met with raised eyebrows, side-eyes, and full-blown fury. Netizens' verdict? 'Sh*t!' 'Lazy!' 'Embarrassing!' and 'Overpriced!'—not exactly the hype YG Entertainment banked on. Merch that missed the mark YG Entertainment Japan's X (formerly Twitter) announced the merch as part of the Deadline tour's official lineup in Tokyo and Osaka: a black plastic bag—logo emblazoned, nothing more. ﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉#BLACKPINK WORLD TOUR ＜DEADLINE＞ IN JAPAN POP-UP STORE 開催決定！ ﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍ ＜東京会場＞ 🗓️ 2025年7月3日(木)～7月15日(火) 📍 大丸東京店 3F / 特設会場 ＜大阪会場＞ 🗓️… — YG JAPAN OFFICIAL (@YGJAPANofficial) June 19, 2025 No tour dates, no graphic design, no thoughtful artistry. At an 18-dollar price tag, fans felt parted not just from their money, but from any shred of goodwill. Fan reactions Scrolling through X, it became clear: fans were livid. Here are some highlights. One fan responded with, 'No effort at all, even for official tour merchandise. And they are even selling plastic bags with BLACKPINK logo for almost 20 USD?' @ygent_official has been bragging that 'new great team' in charge of BLACKPINK, yet it's all the same trash releases aiming to milk fans.' No effort at all even for official tour merchandise. And they are even selling plastic bags with BLACKPINK logo for almost 20 usd? @ygent_official has been bragging that 'new great team' in charge of BLACKPINK, yet it's all the same trash releases aiming to milk fans — 엘라 ✨ (@Mhannwella) June 19, 2025 Another wrote, 'Outdated BLACKPINK logo, and outdated hearts like this is a combination of all the tour merch together 💀 if it's real it needs to be #boycott_blackpinktour so y'all can get YG panicking.' Outdated Blackpink logo, and outdated hearts like this is a combination of all the tour merch together 💀 if it's real it needs to be #boycott_blackpinktour so y'all can get YG panicking — zwy101 🎀 (@zwy101) June 19, 2025 Yet another wrote out a rhetorical, frustrated question, 'What is the plastic bag for? to kms after seeing this ugly ass merch?' what is the plastic bag for? to kms after seeing this ugly ass merch? — girls will be alis 🔱 ≷ seeing blackpink!! (@chaersluvx) June 19, 2025 'Predictable and desperate, I actually hope no one buys this shlt,' expressed one. Predictable and desperate, I actually hope no one buys this shlt. — lay | 🤍 (@delulublink) June 19, 2025 Even hardcore fans of the BLACKPINK BLINK UNION X account expressed their shock with, 'the heck is this??? Just the BLACKPINK logo in a plastic bag? srlsy embarrassing @ygent_official the heck is this??? just the BLACKPINK logo in a plastic bag? srlsy embarrassing @ygent_official — BLACKPINK BLINK UNION 💕 (@BBU_BLACKPINK) June 19, 2025 Four words echo throughout the backlash: lazy, embarrassing, sh*t and overpriced. Many argued the merch was so underwhelming it felt like a slap in the face to fans who had waited three years for new group content. Price + Design = Fan Uproar! The outrage boiled down to two main points: Pricey plastic bag: A flimsy item with minimal design isn't worth $18. Creativity deficit: No one expects golden statues, but a singular logo on a bag hardly counts as artwork. On X again, yet another anger and disappointment reaction took centre stage: this is insane i've never seen a worse management — ☾˖˚✧ jasmine (@hoIIowmuse) June 19, 2025 While one was extremely disappointed with the management's performance, another thought it couldn't get any worse, yet they were proven wrong. when you think they can't disappoint you anymore, they prove you wrong — leila ☁️ (@leilasofiacerca) June 19, 2025 Fans are openly questioning YG's commitment to their creative reputation—and to BLINKs' wallets. The bigger picture This merch misstep didn't happen in a vacuum. BLACKPINK hasn't dropped a group track since 2022, and fans are starved for creativity—songs, visuals, experiences. Instead of distracting attention with a drop or teaser, YG opts for a product many see as insulting. That's why many BLINKs called for a Deadline World Tour boycott, starting July 5 at Goyang Stadium in South Korea. This single merch item is symbolic of ongoing inactivity, and for some, that's enough to rethink tour attendance. See also BLACKPINK's Rosé does a cover of John Mayer's song YG Scrambles: Is a comeback coming? In response, YG pivoted, soon revealing that BLACKPINK will release a new single in July: their first group track in almost three years. While that soothed some anxieties, others saw it as a reactionary PR play, designed to calm backlash rather than excite fans with genuine build-up. Final thoughts This fiasco isn't merely about a bag. It exemplifies a growing rift: fans feeling taken for granted and artists losing credibility in the creative marketplace. BLACKPINK's power is real—BLINKs (Blackpink fans) have the muscle to make YG care, especially now that genuine artistry is back on the horizon (fingers crossed). At the end of the day, netizens are saying loud and clear: If you want our loyalty, earn it with art—not empty bags.

CNA

17 hours ago

• CNA

East Asia Tonight - Fri 20 Jun 2025

47:40 Min Spotlight on East Asia, a region steeped in history and now helping to write the future of our world. We'll break down the key stories and explain why they matter. East Asia Tonight About the show: 'East Asia Tonight' shines a spotlight on a region steeped in history and now helping to write the future of our world. Greater China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula have economic and political might, and are major drivers of daily news and business. We'll break down the key stories and explain why they matter.

CNA

2 days ago

• CNA

Japan Hour - Gaia Series 92: Challenge with the power of rice!

Japanese seasoning shio-koji spices up Milan while Japanese rice snacks face stiff competition in India in this week's episode.