London, Nov 22 (AP) King Charles III paid tribute to K-pop band Blackpink on Wednesday, giving them honorary gongs for their work fighting climate change by raising awareness among young people.

During a three-day state visit by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Charles made Jennie Kim, Jisoo Kim and Lalisa Manoban honorary Members of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of the group's role as COP26 Advocates for the COP26 Summit in Glasgow 2021.

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Roseanne Park (Rosé) was also honored, but since she has dual New Zealand citizenship, her MBE is substantive. In addition to being king of the United Kingdom, Charles is head of state for 14 realms, including New Zealand, which retained the monarch as their sovereign after gaining independence from the former British Empire.

The honors were presented Wednesday morning in the 1844 Room at Buckingham Palace. The awards are part of Britain's honors system, which recognizes outstanding service to the nation and the wider world. Non-UK citizens, and those who aren't members of the 14 realms, receive honorary versions of the awards.

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Charles had lauded the K-pop girl group on Tuesday at a glittering banquet.

“I applaud Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rose, better known collectively as Blackpink, for their role in bringing the message of environmental sustainability to a global audience,” Charles said in his banquet speech. “I can only admire how they can prioritize these vital issues, as well as being global superstars.” (AP)

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