BLACKPINK member Lisa (리사) recently found herself at the center of public debate after speaking about her early days as a trainee in Korea. In a recent interview with the Thai English-language podcast The Standard Knd, she recounted the difficulties of living and training in Korea as a foreign trainee, admitting that language barriers initially made it hard for her to adapt. However, this candid confession unexpectedly drew criticism from some online users, who labeled her as "ungrateful."
During the interview, Lisa revealed that she knew almost no Korean when she first arrived in the country. Yet, her company did not allow others to communicate with her in English, and even her Korean language teacher taught exclusively in Korean, leaving her, with no foundation in the language, completely bewildered. Lisa recalled asking her teacher to use English to help her understand Korean, but the teaching method remained unchanged. She confessed that one day, she was so distressed she nearly cried, noting that overcoming the language barrier alone was not easy for her at such a young age.
However, Lisa's recollection sparked a polarized reaction on social media. Some Korean netizens argued that since she voluntarily came to Korea to audition to become a K-pop idol, she should have been prepared to learn Korean. Some even criticized her, saying: "You chose to work in a country with its own language; you're lucky to have been selected, and now you're complaining about having to put effort into learning the local language?" and "If you wanted to debut in Korea, why didn't you try harder to adapt?" Others bluntly suggested: "Why didn't you just debut in Thailand?"
Even more aggressive comments accused Lisa of not appreciating the opportunities Korea had given her, and some suggested she was deliberately portraying herself as a victim. Such remarks unexpectedly escalated what was originally a simple recounting of trainee life into an online debate.
Nevertheless, many fans came to Lisa's defense, arguing that some netizens were taking her words out of context and deliberately ignoring what she said later in the interview. Lisa had also admitted that while the Korean learning method was difficult at the time, being immersed in the Korean language environment for so long ultimately benefited her greatly, to the point where she now feels more comfortable speaking Korean than English.
Fans also pointed out that Lisa moved from Thailand to Korea at the age of 14, knowing almost no Korean. For a girl so young, adapting to an unfamiliar environment and language alone was inherently challenging. They argued she was merely sharing her genuine feelings from that time, not denying Korea or complaining about her debut opportunity, and urged the public not to rush to judgment based on isolated snippets.
As opposing views continue to clash, Lisa's experiences as a trainee in Korea have once again become a focal point of discussion, shedding light on the real challenges foreign K-pop trainees face in adapting to language and culture.
