People Power Party Politicians Rally Behind aespa Karina as Red Photo Sparks Political Firestorm
Recently, aespa’s Karina posted photos on her personal account showcasing her time in Japan. She was seen wearing a jacket with the number “2” in red, accompanied by a red rose emoji.
This sparked speculation among netizens that she was supporting the People Power Party (PPP), whose party color is red and whose candidate Kim Moon-soo is number 2 on the ballot, leading to widespread political color controversy.
Karina quickly deleted the photos, but PPP figures amplified the issue by defending her, further fueling the controversy.
Lee Soo-jung, PPP’s Suwon Jeong Party Cooperation Committee Chairperson, posted on Facebook, “#IfYouMessWithKarinaYou’reAllDead,” along with, “Don’t bother with the hypocrites’ witch hunt. It’s not worth your attention. The secondary harm to victims will be severe, but let’s overcome it!”
Baek Ji-won, PPP Central Election Committee Spokesperson, also shared Karina’s photo with the caption “SHOUT OUT TO.”
Conservative comedian Kim Young-min wrote, “The People Power Party will firmly address online sexual crimes to protect artists from perverts,” adding, “K-pop stars are great artists and industrial heroes who boost the economy. We will protect them with the people.”
Singer JK Kim Dong-uk indirectly referenced Karina on his personal account, stating, “Nowadays, even idols from major agencies boldly express their opinions.”
Even Lee Jun-seok, Reform Party candidate, joined in, posting on Facebook about a recent TV debate where he used crude expressions related to women’s bodies, linking it to an article mentioning Karina.
In response, on May 29, Karina’s fans issued a statement on an online community, expressing “deep concern” over Lee Jun-seok’s shared article link. They criticized, “The article exposes the victim’s real name, photo, and sexually harassing remarks in its title and image, causing secondary harm by damaging the victim’s reputation.”
The fans noted, “The article has since been revised to remove the victim’s name and image, and alternative articles without such details exist. Yet, Lee Jun-seok continues to maintain the original link, which contradicts his stance and repeatedly harms the victim’s reputation.”
They urged, “We respectfully request that the candidate revise the post’s link and preview or replace it with a method that does not expose the victim’s photo or real name. We do not want criticism of the victim or political disputes.”
Fans also voiced frustration, saying, “Why is Karina a conservative icon? Stop using her for political gain,” “It’s aespa’s fault for being too successful. Leave Karina alone,” and “She apologized and clarified enough—please stop.”
Meanwhile, on May 28, Karina addressed the controversy via a paid fan communication platform, stating, “I had no such intentions, but the misunderstanding grew, and MYs [fans] were so worried that I felt I needed to address it directly. I’ll be more careful and mindful in the future. I’m sorry again for causing concern.”
Her agency, SM Entertainment, also clarified on the same day, “There was no other purpose or intention. We hope the artist’s intentions are no longer distorted or consumed with specific motives.”