Karina of aespa faced intense backlash after her Instagram post was interpreted as political support. The controversy led to a drop in her followers, but fans debate whether it was due to fan anger or Instagram’s bot purge.
Karina, a member of the popular K-pop group aespa, recently found herself in hot water over a now-deleted Instagram post. The photo showed her wearing a black jacket with red accents and the number “2” on it. Alongside the image, she used a red rose emoji. While the post seemed harmless to some, many South Korean netizens saw it as a political statement.
Karina wore an outfit that could be interpreted as representing the conservative (right-wing) side, and within just 30 minutes, the post surpassed 2,000 comments. pic.twitter.com/Bw2Lp5H1MN
The backlash was swift. Critics linked the red color and the number “2” to Kim Moon-soo, a conservative presidential candidate in South Korea. His party, the People Power Party (PPP), uses red as its official color, and he is listed as the second candidate on the ballot. The post quickly went viral, with netizens dubbing Karina “conservative Karina” and “No. 2 voter Karina.”
Karina deleted the post within hours, but the damage was done. Her Instagram follower count dropped by around 200,000, falling from 24 million to 23.8 million. While some fans blamed the controversy for the decline, others pointed out that Instagram frequently removes inactive and fake accounts. Several fan communities noted that other celebrities also saw follower drops around the same time, suggesting the decrease wasn’t solely due to the backlash.
SM Entertainment, Karina’s agency, quickly released a statement to address the controversy. They clarified that the post had no political meaning and was simply a casual update from her daily life. The agency emphasized that Karina removed the post as soon as she realized it could be misinterpreted.
Karina also personally apologized to fans on the messaging platform Bubble. She wrote:
“I’m really sorry for making MYs [aespa fans] worry. I had no such intention at all. But the misunderstanding kept growing, and since you were so worried, I thought I should talk to you directly. From now on, I’ll also try to be more attentive and act more carefully. I’m sorry once again for making you worry.”
Despite the apology, some netizens remained skeptical. Comments on social media ranged from support to harsh criticism:
“Does she really not understand how big of a deal this is? Reading that post, it feels like she’s saying it’s not a big deal.”
“I don’t know if it’s sincere… Even if she posted it without thinking, it’s still a problem.”
“If she was just going to end it with a Bubble post, she should’ve done it right away yesterday. It’s not even an explanation.”
The Unwritten Rules for K-Pop Idols During Elections
This incident highlights the intense scrutiny K-pop idols face, especially during election seasons in South Korea. Idols are expected to remain politically neutral to avoid alienating fans. Agencies often advise them to avoid wearing colors associated with political parties—red for PPP, blue for the Democratic Party, and yellow or green for the Green Justice Party.
Even simple gestures like a peace sign or thumbs-up near polling stations can be misinterpreted as endorsements for specific candidates. Earlier this week, ZeroBaseOne’s Kim Tae-rae joked about balancing out a “V” sign with his blue phone to avoid speculation.
Past incidents show how seriously fans take these rules. In 2018, comedian Yoo Jae-suk faced criticism for wearing a blue cap during regional elections. In 2020, trot singer Song Ga-in had to apologize for wearing a blue shirt in a voting encouragement video.
Mixed Reactions From Fans
While some Korean fans were upset, international fans largely defended Karina. Many argued that the post was harmless and that the backlash was exaggerated. Some even pointed out that the jacket was from the American brand Vaquera, which sold out quickly after the controversy.
Supporters of the PPP also praised Karina, calling her a “goddess” in online forums. However, SM Entertainment reiterated that the post had no political meaning and urged fans not to distort Karina’s intentions.
Karina’s case is another reminder of how even a seemingly innocent post can spiral into a major controversy. For now, SM Entertainment and Karina hope the apologies will calm the situation. But the debate over idols and political expression is far from over.
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