Jul 08, Kathmandu- Organizers of Blackpink's concert in Vietnam have apologized for using a map on their website that China uses to claim the South China border as its sovereignty. The Korean pop group is scheduled to hold two concerts in Vietnam this month. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam has said that the presence of the map on the website of the promoter of the program, IME, is a sensitive matter and it is not acceptable. The company, which is headquartered in Beijing, has said that it will remove the map. Internet users in Vietnam found the map.

Vietnam is also among the countries that challenge China's claim on the South China border. By using nine dashes (nine-dash line), China has claimed its sovereignty over the South China border on its map. Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said that the nine-dash line map used to promote the program is prohibited by Vietnamese law and is not acceptable. The Ministry of Culture of Vietnam has informed that it is investigating this.

On the other hand, Brian Chow, the CEO of the organizing company, explained that they respect the sovereignty and culture of all countries, and that there is some misunderstanding in this case. It is rare for pop artists like Blackpink to perform in Vietnam. Just one day before this controversy, Vietnam banned the movie "Barbie" for using the nine-dash line map.