aespa's Karina has spoken out amidst a political controversy.
On the 28th, Karina issued an apology through a fan communication platform regarding the political color controversy. She began by saying, "I'm sorry for causing concern."
Karina explained, "I had no such intention, but as the misunderstanding grew and MYs (the fandom name) became worried, I thought I should address it directly. I will be more attentive and careful in the future. Once again, I'm sorry for causing concern," she said, bowing her head.
Karina's agency, SM Entertainment, also released an official statement to clarify the situation. SM stated, "We apologize for causing concern with our artist Karina's post." They continued, "Karina only posted everyday content on her SNS without any other purpose or intention. After realizing the potential for misunderstanding, she promptly deleted the post. We sincerely apologize for any unintended concern caused."
SM added, "We will be more vigilant to prevent such incidents in the future. We hope that the artist's intentions are not distorted or consumed with a specific agenda, and we will do our utmost to protect Karina and all our artists."
On the afternoon of the 27th, Karina posted several photos taken in Japan on her SNS, accompanied by a rose emoji. In the photos, Karina was wearing a red jumper with the number 2 on it. This led to speculation that Karina was expressing support for a particular political party.
Some netizens interpreted the post as support for Kim Moon-soo, a member of the People Power Party, whose candidate number is 2, especially since the post came a week before the election known as the 'Rose Election.' As the controversy grew, Karina eventually deleted the post.
Reported by Kim Ji-won, TenAsia one@tenasia.co.kr