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Karina and SM apologize over Instagram post stirring political speculation

Published: 28 May. 2025, 15:14

LIM JEONG-WON
[email protected]

Karina of girl group aespa [NEWS1]

Karina of girl group aespa and her agency SM Entertainment issued apologies after the K-pop singer faced criticism for a social media post that appeared to signal political affiliation.

“I apologize to fans for creating this misunderstanding,” Karina wrote on the fan platform Bubble. “I didn’t have any intentions [with the post], and I will act more carefully in the future.”

On Tuesday, Karina uploaded a photo of herself on Instagram wearing a black jacket with red patterns and the number 2 printed on the side. The photo, seemingly taken on the streets of Japan, included a red rose emoji without further explanation.

The post quickly went viral, with netizens dubbing the singer “conservative Karina,” “No. 2 voter Karina” and “patriotic Karina” — terms typically used to describe conservative voters in Korea. The post was soon deleted.

Kim Moon-soo, the conservative People Power Party (PPP) candidate, is represented by the color red and is No. 2 on the ballot.

“We apologize for causing concern with Karina’s post,” aespa’s agency, SM Entertainment, said in a statement released Wednesday.

A picture of singer Karina of girl group aespa uploaded to Instagram on May 27, then deleted soon after. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

“Karina posted some daily content with no particular intention, and she deleted the post immediately after recognizing it could be misunderstood,” the agency continued. “We sincerely apologize for the unintended concern.”

SM also requested that artists’ posts “no longer be distorted or consumed for specific purposes.”

During election season, K-pop idols are strongly advised — and in some cases, effectively required — to avoid wearing colors associated with political parties, such as red for the PPP, blue for the Democratic Party and yellow or green for the Green Justice Party.

They are also cautioned against using familiar hand gestures like the thumbs-up or peace sign when posing near polling stations, as these can be interpreted as referencing specific candidates or party numbers.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]