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K-pop group BLACKPINK will hold a fan event in Seoul for the tenth anniversary of its debut, sources said Friday. In this August 2022 photo, members (L-R) Lisa, Jisoo, Jennie and Rose arrive at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards in Newark. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

K-pop girl group BLACKPINK will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its debut with a small-scale meet-and-greet for fans in Seoul, bringing all four members together for a rare domestic fan appearance, industry sources said Friday.

The quartet is scheduled to attend the event Saturday, the date of its debut in 2016, at the National Museum of Korea with 40 selected fans, according to the sources.

YG Entertainment, the group’s agency, said details of the event would be provided individually to those selected to attend.

Earlier this week, BLACKPINK unveiled the “BLACKPINK Heritage Collection,” a collaboration with Mu:ds, the museum’s merchandise brand in commemoration of the band’s 10th anniversary.

The group also worked with the museum in February for a project that included cultural-heritage programs and activities linked to the group’s music to mark its comeback.

It will be the first time that all four have appeared together for fans in South Korea since July last year, when the group held a stop of its “Deadline” world tour in Goyang in the northwestern suburbs of Seoul.

Since debuting under YG Entertainment in 2016, BLACKPINK has become one of the most influential acts in global pop, turning each release into a chart-topping hit, and extending its reach into fashion, luxury branding and advertising.

Its 2022 album “Born Pink” made history as the first by a female K-pop act to top the U.S. Billboard 200, while also reaching number one on the British Official Albums Top 100.

In February, the group returned with its third EP, “Deadline,” its first group project in more than three years, which debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, seen here at a reception in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People in September 2025, met with North Korean Premier Pak Thae Song on Friday, Chinese media reported. File Photo by Kremlin Press Office/UPI | License Photo

Chinese President Xi Jinping met North Korea‘s premier in Beijing on Friday ahead of an event marking the 65th anniversary of the signing of a friendship treaty between the two nations, news footage aired by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV showed.

North Korean Premier Pak Thae-song arrived there earlier in the day for a three-day visit to attend the event commemorating the treaty anniversary at the invitation of China’s Communist Party, according to the report.

The Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance was signed July 11, 1961, by late North Korea founder and former leader Kim Il-sung and then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Pyongyang’s state media, reported on Pak’s planned visit to Beijing the previous day, without specifying a detailed schedule.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping held summit talks in Pyongyang last month and vowed to strengthen bilateral ties through expanded exchanges across multiple sectors, from economy to culture, as well as more frequent high-level visits.

At that time, Xi stressed the importance of marking the anniversary, fueling speculation that the two countries would hold a large-scale event.

In socialist nations like North Korea and China, anniversaries that fall on five- or 10-year intervals carry particular significance and are typically celebrated with grand events. High-level official visits and exchanges of congratulatory messages had been widely expected.

South Korea’s unification ministry said at a briefing earlier in the day it will “closely monitor” related developments in Beijing.

According to the ministry, this marks the first time in seven years that a North Korean government delegation has been dispatched to Beijing in celebration of the treaty’s anniversary.

The ministry also noted that North Korea has elevated the rank of its chief delegate to premier this year from vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly back in 2019.

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