SEOUL, May 28 — Karina, a member of the K-pop girl group aespa, faced backlash online after posting a photo during South Korea’s election season that some interpreted as politically suggestive.
According to Korea JoongAng Daily, Karina uploaded an image of herself in a black jacket with red patterns and the number 2 visible on the side, along with a red rose emoji.
The photo, seemingly taken in Japan, went viral on South Korean online communities, where users nicknamed her “conservative Karina,” “No. 2 voter Karina” and “patriotic Karina” — phrases often used to label conservative-leaning voters.
The post was later deleted, but online users continued to criticise the singer for her perceived lack of caution.
During election periods, K-pop idols are expected to avoid vivid colours linked to political parties, including red for the People Power Party and blue for the Democratic Party.
They are also advised not to make hand gestures such as the thumbs-up or peace sign, which can be interpreted as support for a candidate number or party.
“The rules may not be officially written, but they are clearly understood within the industry,” Korea JoongAng Daily reported.
Today, Karina’s agency, SM Entertainment, released a statement addressing the controversy.
The agency said, “Karina simply shared something from her daily life on social media, with absolutely no other intention or purpose. Once she realised that the post could be misunderstood, she immediately deleted it.”
“We sincerely apologise for any distress this may have caused unintentionally,” it continued.
“Our agency will also be more careful and make greater efforts to prevent such incidents from happening in the future. We hope that our artist’s intentions will no longer be misrepresented or consumed with a particular agenda, and we will do our utmost to protect Karina and all of our artists.”
Karina is the leader of aespa, a four-member group under SM Entertainment that debuted in 2020.
The group is known for hits such as Next Level and Spicy, and is recognised for blending K-pop with virtual reality concepts and AI avatars.
The controversy over Karina’s post reflects broader sensitivities around celebrity behaviour during elections in South Korea.
Even showing no political engagement can be controversial, with some fans accusing idols of indifference if they do not show proof of voting.
ZeroBaseOne’s Kim Tae-rae also addressed election-season etiquette in a recent fan post.
“I was told that I shouldn’t pose a ‘V’ because of the [election] season,” he wrote. “I’ll even it out with the colour of my phone.”
He had posted a photo with a V-sign and a blue phone, explaining the gesture after receiving guidance about the rules.
The two-day early voting period for the snap presidential election will begin tomorrow.
K-pop idols are expected to be seen voting and posting about it while navigating the rules surrounding political neutrality.
