3 days ago
Why are fans of Karina from aespa 'unstanning' her? Learn about controversial post that made SM Entertainment apologize
aespa's Karina recently came under public scrutiny after uploading photos to her personal Instagram account. Many interpreted it as a subtle political statement. The post, shared on May 27, featured Karina dressed in a black and red varsity-style jacket with the number two prominently displayed. It was accompanied by a simple rose emoji as the caption.
Although seemingly innocent at first glance, the outfit quickly ignited intense debate among Korean netizens. They connected the imagery with South Korea's ongoing presidential election campaign. With the country preparing for the 21st Presidential Election, symbols such as colors and candidate numbers are closely associated with political identities.
Here's Karina's now-deleted Instagram post:
In this context, red is widely recognized as the official color of the People Power Party, the current ruling party. The number two, meanwhile, is associated with Kim Moon Soo, one of the leading candidates in the upcoming election. Many online users interpreted Karina 's red jacket and the number on it as a subtle show of support for Kim.
While Karina made no direct reference to any political candidate, and her caption lacked any clear political message, speculation surged across online communities. Posts about her outfit and its supposed meaning spread rapidly on Korean forums. Some commenters accused the idol of engaging in indirect political endorsement.
The backlash was swift. Within hours of posting the photo, Karina deleted it from her account, likely in response to the growing criticism. Fans and critics alike debated whether the post was intentionally suggestive or simply an unfortunate coincidence.
SM Entertainment apology
Shortly afterward, SM Entertainment, Karina's agency, released an official statement addressing the controversy. The company clarified that the post was not meant to convey any political message and apologized for the confusion it caused.
'There were no hidden intentions or purposes by her upload and she immediately deleted the post after realizing there could be misunderstandings,' SM Entertainment stated. 'We are truly sorry for unintentionally causing concern.' The agency further added that it would be taking additional steps to prevent similar issues in the future. 'We hope that the artist's intentions [on making the post] will no longer be distorted or framed with certain intentions,' they said.
While Karina has not made any direct statement about the issue, a section of fans have flooded social media with messages of support. They urged others to give her the benefit of the doubt.
