aespa's Karina, actor Lee Jae-wook confirm breakup

Actor Lee Jae-wook, left, and singer Karina of aespa [YONHAP, NEWS1]

Karina of girl group aespa and actor Lee Jae-wook have broken up, both their agencies confirmed to local press on Tuesday.

The breakup comes five weeks after the pair first publicly admitted to dating in late February.

Lee’s agency, CJes Studios, said the reason was “Lee wanting to focus on acting at the moment.”

“The two have agreed to remain co-workers who support each other,” the agency continued, asking for fans’ understanding.

Karina’s agency, SM Entertainment, did not specify a reason for the split but simply confirmed the split.

Despite the agencies’ statements, both Lee and Karina had been off to a rough start following the announcement of their relationship. Karina made a public apology for dating in a handwritten letter but fans still expressed their disappointment in the singer, and SM’s stocks plummeted.

Both agencies had warned that they would sue online users who left hate comments about the pair.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]