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aespa's Karina under fire in South Korea — SM Entertainment, fans blamed for dragging HYBE artists into controversy

aespa's Karina faced backlash after an Instagram post sparked political controversy in Korea. While SM denied any political intent, fans clashed over her apology, alleged media play—highlighting rising tensions across fandoms.

Karen NoronhaUpdated: May 30, 2025, 00:57 IST
6 min read
aespa's Karina under fire in South Korea
The post by aespa's Karina was taken down within hours, but not before it drew sharp criticism. Credit: Instagram|katarinabluu

Karina from the K-pop girl group aespa has been caught in a social media storm after an Instagram post unintentionally sparked political controversy in South Korea. The singer uploaded photos of herself wearing a red and black jacket with the number "2" and captioned it with a single rose emoji.

While fans overseas found the post harmless, many Korean netizens quickly linked it to Kim Moon Soo, a presidential candidate associated with the ruling People Power Party. Red is the party's color, and "2" is Kim's assigned candidate number.

aespa Karina's Instagram aespa Karina's Instagram

Swift backlash and late apology

The post was taken down within hours, but not before it drew sharp criticism. Karina was accused of subtly endorsing a political figure—something K-pop idols typically avoid due to their widespread influence over young fans.

The backlash prompted SM Entertainment to release a statement clarifying that the post had "no political intent." Karina also issued a personal apology through the paid fan app Bubble, stating she never meant to offend anyone.

Follower drop sparks more debate

In the aftermath, Karina's Instagram followers dropped from 24 million to 23.8 million—a loss of about 200,000. Some attributed the dip to the controversy, while others pointed out that Instagram had recently purged inactive or bot accounts, a trend that affected many other celebrity profiles as well. Several fans noted that the follower count had begun to drop days before the post went live.


Damage control: SM Entertainment's media play and fan response

As the backlash intensified, some fans began speculating that SM Entertainment was engaging in "media play" to deflect attention. Older, unrelated news involving HYBE, its artists, and HYBE Chairman Bang Si-Hyuk began circulating on Korean media platforms—despite offering no substantial updates. Fans noted the suspicious timing, suggesting these articles were resurfaced deliberately to shift focus away from Karina.


Meanwhile, aespa's fans—known as MYs—rallied on X (formerly Twitter), launching a campaign highlighting other idols who have also used the peace sign, arguing that similar gestures had gone uncriticized.

However, fans of HYBE artists responded strongly, accusing MYs of spreading "false equivalencies." They insisted Karina's apology should have been posted on Instagram—where the controversy originated—rather than on Bubble, a paid fan communication app.

Some users also noted that Karina's statement regarding her dating news was more extensive than her current apology, further fueling dissatisfaction.

Despite diverging opinions, one thing is clear: the incident has opened up wider conversations about idol accountability, fan behavior, and the complicated intersection of pop culture and politics in South Korea.

For all the latest K-drama, K-pop, and Hallyuwood updates, keep following our coverage here.

First Published: May 30, 2025, 00:51 IST
karen-noronha-author-at-indiatimes
Karen Noronha

Karen Noronha is a versatile journalist with a passion for sports and K-pop. With over 7 years of experience at publications like IBTimes UK, DNA, and OTTPlay/DesiMartini, she seamlessly transitions between covering global athletic events and the dynamic world of K-pop.

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