Pages

Jisoo Uncovered: Hidden Facts and Lesser-Known Sides of BLACKPINK’s Quiet Power

Jisoo Uncovered Hidden Facts and Lesser-Known Sides of BLACKPINK’s Quiet Power

Behind the Scenes: Acting, Humor, Planning


Although Jisoo is presented as the most serious member of BLACKPINK, she is the one who makes everyone laugh the most on set. According to directors, she imitates the stage crew during breaks and sometimes deliberately repeats her mistakes just to make the other members laugh. Even when her scenes aren't being filmed, she takes notes on set. Especially for the series “Snowdrop,” it's known that she kept a notebook where she jotted down which emotions felt stronger during filming. She later used this notebook to analyze emotional transitions in her acting.

Jisoo's interest in comedy dates back to her childhood. In an interview, she mentioned that she enjoyed playing “male” characters in school plays because she felt there was more humor in those roles.


Cultural Depth: Language and Local Meanings


Although Jisoo's English level is considered to be behind that of the other BLACKPINK members, she is actually fluent in many different dialects of Korean. She consciously neutralizes her Seoul dialect in front of the media, but in private interviews, her Gunpo accent from her childhood can sometimes be heard.

A little-known detail: Jisoo learned a Thai nursery rhyme backstage and started communicating with Lisa using only that rhyme. When Thai fans noticed this effort, they trended Jisoo on social media under the title “the member who tried the hardest.” Before their first concerts in Japan, it is known that she wrote a special opening speech that preserved the meaning in both Japanese and Korean so that the audience could understand, and that she memorized and rehearsed it every day for a week. She wrote this speech herself, not her agency.


Family, Childhood, and Personal Development


Jisoo's interest in music began later than expected. Her first dream was to become a painter. As a child, she constantly drew landscapes with pastels, and her family even planned to send her to art school. When her family noticed her natural talent in front of the camera, they encouraged her to pursue acting. However, after watching a 2NE1 concert during her high school years, Jisoo developed an interest in singing and prepared a full presentation to explain her decision to her family.

Due to a knee injury she suffered as a child, she had to go to school on crutches for several months. During this time, a school music teacher broke her resistance and shyness, giving Jisoo the courage to sing on stage for the first time.


Decisions Behind Her Visual Image


Jisoo is the member of BLACKPINK who has had the least aesthetic touch. In fact, during her trainee period, YG founder Yang Hyun-suk said that her appearance was “already natural enough to appeal to the Korean public” and refused to intervene. She adds her own touches to her makeup. She chose the eye shadow shades used in the “Pink Venom” music video herself, and one of those shades was later released in collaboration with a cosmetics brand.

An interesting detail about Jisoo's hairstyle that is well known among fans: she has not changed her hair part for a long time because of a “lucky charm.” According to her, changing her hair part can disrupt her energy. That's why she usually appears with her hair parted on the same side.


Fashion, Stage Style, and Relationships with Global Brands


Jisoo's relationship with Dior goes far beyond a typical brand ambassadorship. Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior's creative director, described Jisoo's presence at the 2022 Paris fashion show as “perfectly aligned with the brand's quiet yet powerful character.” Even though she didn't walk the runway, Jisoo drew more media attention than other guests at the show.

There have also been instances where she personally designed some details of her stage costumes. During the “As If It's Your Last” era, the black mini gloves she added to her stage outfit were entirely her idea, and this small touch became a style trend on both fashion blogs and K-pop fan pages during that period. The most challenging aspect of fashion shoots for her is wearing exaggerated shoes. In her own words, she has a character that “can't tolerate pain for fashion.” During the Dior campaign, she had to wrap her feet in ice after the shoot due to the platform heels she wore.


Digital Presence and Media Usage


Jisoo's social media account appears simple at first glance, but upon closer inspection of her posting times and interactions, a strategic structure becomes apparent. She typically shares her most engaging posts during early morning hours in Korea, targeting both Asian and European/American time zones simultaneously. Despite appearing least frequently in YouTube content alongside her group members, the “Jisoo solo vlog” segment on the BLACKPINK channel reached 10 million views within the week of its release, breaking one of the group's individual content records.

It is known that Jisoo uses the notes app on her phone not only for song lyrics or projects but also for a list of “things she wants to tell her fans one day but can't say now.” Some of the phrases she wrote on this list have been noticed to be used in fan meetings years later.


Love for Animals and the “Dalgom” Connection


Jisoo's dog Dalgom is not just a pet; he is more like her stress therapist. Compared to the other BLACKPINK members' dogs, Dalgom has a calmer and more introverted personality. This trait was chosen specifically because it matches Jisoo's mood. Dalgom's extreme quietness once led fans to joke that he was a “robot dog.” Jisoo playfully responded to the rumors by saying, “Even artificial intelligence reacts more than Dalgom,” which increased her social media engagement.

During group tours, when Jisoo wasn't allowed to bring Dalgom along, videos of her having video calls with her mother and Dalgom, and telling Dalgom bedtime stories, were filmed by the BLACKPINK documentary crew but remain unpublished.


Musical Direction and Stage Performances


Although Jisoo appears to be in the background when compared to the group's main vocalists in terms of vocal range, she is considered one of the members with the least pitch deviation in live performances. This characteristic was noted in a technical report by sound engineers during the 2019 Tokyo Dome concert.

During the vocal recording process for her solo song “Flower,” three different versions were recorded, and Jisoo insisted on choosing the version with the “least processed vocals.” The reason is that she believes her raw vocal tone better conveys the emotion. Additionally, Jisoo is the only BLACKPINK member who insists on being alone before stage rehearsals. While the other members prepare together, Jisoo retreats to a corner 15 minutes before going on stage to do an internal rehearsal. She calls this “mental silence.”


Behind-the-Scenes Habits and Team Dynamics


Jisoo is the one who manages BLACKPINK's pre-performance preparation ritual. She usually gathers the members when they are scattered, and starts the focus ritual with small phrases like “let's finish this” or “let's keep our eyes on the stage.” These phrases are never written down or fixed; they are shaped according to the moment's motivation.

Jisoo is also the one who knows best which angle each BLACKPINK member looks best from behind the camera. She is known for constantly reminding the photographers that Rosé's face looks more natural when shot from the left and sometimes even directs the photographers from her own perspective.

She doesn't let her professional reflexes slip even during meal breaks. During the filming of the group documentary, when she noticed that there were cameras around, she slowed down her chewing and finished her meal in small bites so that the sound of her cutlery wouldn't be picked up by the microphone. This was noticed by the crew and she was praised for it.


Off-Stage Humor and Hidden Talents


One of Jisoo's most well-known but rarely mentioned talents offstage is her extraordinary ability to impersonate others. She can perfectly mimic not only famous people but also her fellow cast members' walks, gestures, and even facial expressions, creating fun moments on set. She rarely does these impersonations without permission, often starting by asking people to “watch themselves for five minutes.”

Another little-known detail is that Jisoo is by far the best in the group at solving puzzles and word games. During games played on the tour bus with the members,  she never lets anyone beat her at anagrams. Especially in English, she has been noticed to have a strong intuition for guessing the meaning of words she doesn't fully understand based on their letter structure. Her sense of humor isn't limited to wordplay. In one of Jisoo's YouTube videos,  she mistakenly ordered yogurt sauce on her pizza, which went viral on social media, and fans started referring to it as “Jisoo logic.”


Connection with Fans and Silent Interactions


Jisoo's relationship with fans is a little more “quiet but effective” than that of other members. She may be the member who talks the least at fan meetings, but if you look closely, you can see that she makes eye contact with every fan and, even if she doesn't respond, she always gives a small nod of approval.

During their first world tour, a particularly heartfelt moment occurred in Indonesia when a fan couldn't hold back tears on stage, and Jisoo convinced security to let him hug her. This moment is considered one of the group's most sincere fan interactions. The decision not to release these images aligns with Jisoo's belief that “real moments should remain private.” It is known that many fans leave notes in message boxes during online fan events saying, “She didn't respond, but she smiled.” Jisoo is seen as one of the rare idols who communicates through her expressions even behind the screen.


People Who Inspire Her and Her Personal Sense of Aesthetics


The list of people who inspire Jisoo is not limited to ordinary pop stars. The figure who influenced her the most during high school was Frida Kahlo. The reason is that Kahlo incorporated what was considered “imperfections” into her art and rejected visual stereotypes. This idea shaped Jisoo's self-confidence in front of the mirror at a young age. One of the details she frequently uses in her fashion choices, collar pins, is actually a style choice inspired by brooches her grandmother gave her when she was little. One of those brooches is still in the small jewelry box she carries with her on every tour.

Her perception of her own appearance is also quite clear: Jisoo describes her facial features as “neither too sharp nor too round.” For this reason, she generally avoids extreme makeup looks, such as overly defined contours or excessive blush. “I don't want to show the part of my face that I don't know,” she says, which is one of the clearest hints into her aesthetic philosophy.


Education and YG Trainee Period


Although Jisoo showed an interest in acting before being selected by YG Entertainment, she had no serious connection to the music industry when she auditioned. She caught attention not for her talent but for her charisma and her ability to remain unfazed in front of the camera. YG's first suggestion to her was: “Your face doesn't look scared on camera.”

During the first months of her trainee period at YG, Jisoo was often placed at the back of the line during performance training sessions. This was because her dance skills were not yet deemed sufficient. However, her instructors noticed that she had a habit of analyzing the dance moves of other trainees and practicing them individually after rehearsals. They realized she was one of those “quiet but steady” types.

While other BLACKPINK members received feedback focused on vocals or dance during that period, Jisoo's feedback notebook often included the phrase, “Her calmness is her greatest energy.” This note was one of the early signs that explained her eye-catching yet understated presence on stage.


Challenging Moments and Emotional Resilience


One of Jisoo's toughest periods came in the year before BLACKPINK's debut. She had already spent four years as a trainee, and the possibility of the debut being postponed had come up. While some trainees left, Jisoo chose to stay, saying, “I don't know who my group will be, but I need to be ready,” and devised a plan to work on her voice and mental health separately throughout the year.

During the filming of the “Snowdrop” series, political debates on social media and negative comments about the show deeply affected Jisoo personally. According to those close to her, she slept only three hours a day during this period, juggling both filming and group activities.

To avoid emotional breakdowns during some intense scenes on set, she created a private relaxation area for herself. With the production team's permission, she set up a small space at the end of a corridor where no one passed, placing a chair and a music player there. During breaks, she would go there to listen to classical music and regain her balance.


Art and Creative Expression


Jisoo's passion for painting and drawing is not just a childhood hobby. She takes a small notebook and pencil set with her on group tours and draws during flights or in hotel rooms. These drawings are not just landscapes or portraits; they are usually abstract forms that express her inner world, without any writing.

Several fans shared that they received cards with small symbols drawn by Jisoo instead of autographs at fan meetings. Each of these symbols represented Jisoo's mood that day: a raindrop symbolized a sad day, while wavy lines represented an exciting day. Jisoo has also conducted personal research on minhwa, a traditional Korean art form. She has learned the symbolic meanings of tiger and crane figures and has begun to adapt these figures into her own illustrations.

Jisoo Uncovered Hidden Facts and Lesser-Known Sides of BLACKPINK’s Quiet Power

Misleading Perceptions in the Media and Her True Personality


Although Jisoo is often portrayed in the media as “cold, serious, and elegant,” those who know her well describe her personality as “intelligently chaotic.” In other words, even though she plans everything, she is very open to humor and improvisation depending on the situation. During a documentary shoot, Jisoo turned to the director and asked, “Should I look serious in this scene, or should I just be myself?” This shows that she constantly strives to maintain a balance between her awareness of the camera and her true emotions.

One of the most talked-about aspects of her on social media is her beauty. However, Jisoo addressed this topic on a program, saying, “Looking beautiful is not my idea, it's the cameras' idea,” striking a chord about the difference between perception and reality.


Jisoo's Hobbies Outside of Music and Secret Passions


One of Jisoo's lesser-known interests is her passion for board games. She particularly enjoys strategy-based detective games like chess and “Clue.” When staying in hotel rooms with her group members, she memorizes the rules of the game before anyone else and takes on the role of the game master.

Additionally, Jisoo has an intriguing hobby related to her manual dexterity: paper craft (the art of folding and cutting paper). At some concerts, she has been seen quietly gifting the crew with small figures she made by hand in the backstage area as a token of appreciation. These figures are sometimes hearts or miniature instrument shapes.

Her collector side is also quite strong. Since childhood,  she has been collecting traditional Korean stamps (dojang). She searches for seals made of special stones in every city or country she visits and has her name engraved on them. The reason she doesn't want to show this collection to anyone is the spiritual meaning she attaches to it: each seal represents a period of her life.


Relationships with Members and Place in Group Dynamics


Although Jisoo often appears to take on the role of “unni” (older sister) within the group, Lisa describes her as “the oldest but most childlike” member. She is known for constantly making funny faces at Lisa behind the camera.

Her relationship with Rosé is more introverted but emotionally strong. It was revealed in group interviews that Jisoo is often the one who quietly prepares lemon honey water backstage when Rosé's voice is tired. Jisoo doesn't take the spotlight in such matters, but if noticed, she brushes it off with a small smile.

Her relationship with Jennie is based on balance. The two stand out as the duo who exchange the most ideas when planning performances. They check the details of the dance and stage lighting together. Jennie said on a program, “When I lose control, Jisoo tells me what to do without even blinking.”


International Stage Experience and Observations


One of Jisoo's most surprising stage experiences was their first performance at Coachella. Faced with the sheer size and enthusiasm of the crowd, she described the first few minutes on stage as “surreal.” She was so excited that she temporarily couldn't hear the sound from her in-ear monitors, but she continued the song without interruption.

During a concert in Paris, Jisoo wanted to deliver her between-song talk directly in French. Since she had almost forgotten the sentences she had practiced for days, Jennie, who was holding her hand during the speech, whispered the words to her instead of the choreography.

During their tour in Japan, she tried to learn a different local word in each city. She used these words at the end of each concert to show her interest in both the local fans and the cultural depth of the language. This attitude was described as “silent diplomacy” by the Japanese media.


Mood, Fears, and Vulnerabilities


One of Jisoo's fears is feeling alone in a crowd. This feeling leads her to seek deep silence even in crowded environments. During tours, she usually does not turn off the lights completely in her hotel room because she says she feels “empty” in complete darkness.

The short-term separation anxiety she experienced at a young age led her to develop a tendency to not show her feelings to others. For this reason, she did not share the emotional difficulties she experienced during her trainee period with anyone for a long time. However, she addressed this issue in the BLACKPINK documentary, saying, “I'm talking about this for the first time because it feels good to talk about it now.”

It is known that she keeps letters from fans containing lines about loneliness in a separate box. Jisoo says that feeling alone is not just something fans experience but something she also feels from time to time, and that these letters give her a sense of reflection.


Coming to Terms with Loneliness and Inner Discipline


Jisoo is one of the rare idols who uses loneliness as a tool rather than fearing it. Even when she is not writing songs, she prefers to spend a certain amount of time every day quietly watching, listening, and not writing. She describes this as a “mental reset.”

In her own words, “learning to stay lost in silence” is one of the things that has increased her resilience in her career. When other group members want to escape from the outside world, they look to her as an example; Rosé once said on a program, “We get closest to her during the quietest moments.”

When spending time alone, Jisoo uses an app that records ambient sounds instead of listening to music. She regularly records sounds like nature, crowd noise, or subway bells. Some of these have been identified as background sounds in personal short videos she hasn't shared with the media.


Ethical Sensitivity and Decision-Making Mechanisms


Although she is not involved in every detail of BLACKPINK's overseas projects, Jisoo has rejected some campaigns simply because of the background colors or symbols. She is known to have requested a “safer space” for content that could be considered politically or culturally controversial in terms of visual language. She also maintains a quiet stance on animal rights and products tested on animals. Although she doesn't make many public statements, some fans have noticed that she prefers vegan cosmetic products, which can be seen on product labels.

Jisoo's insistence on including a clause in contracts with some brands she endorses that grants her the right to choose her own clothing or consult with her stylist demonstrates her desire to remain independent not only aesthetically but also ethically. It is known that she first presented this clause as a condition to her agency during her collaboration with Dior.


Her Thoughts on the Weight of Being an Icon


Jisoo once said, “Being an idol forces you to live only as an idol.” This statement reveals her constant effort to maintain a balance between her stage persona and her private life. During the “Flower” promotions, some commentators raised the question of whether she really wanted to go solo. However, Jisoo was quite clear on this matter: “I wanted to be myself, but that ‘self’ doesn't have to be loud.”

She also drew attention with the following words on another program regarding beauty standards: ”When I receive compliments about my beauty, I thank them but immediately forget about it. Because that sentence may be a fantasy spoken to the screen, not to me.”


Closing Note: Jisoo's Silent Power


Jisoo has never been the most talkative or prominent member. But her power is shaped by her silence. Even when she wasn't smiling for the cameras, viewers wondered what she was feeling. When she was told she was beautiful, she deflected the topic, and when she was struggling, she worked while everyone else was sleeping.

Her stardom isn't built on brilliance but on clarity. She touches her fans most deeply with her statement, “It's enough for me to stay as I am.” A quiet leadership creates an impact that influences without being seen. And that's precisely why Jisoo continues to be a presence that is noticed even when she's not on stage.

Suggested Posts