Karina and SM Entertainment Apologized for Political Symbolism Controversy: “No Intention at All”

On May 28, aespa Karina addressed the issue via the fan messaging platform Bubble, saying: “I’m sorry for causing concern. That wasn’t my intention at all. Since the misunderstanding has grown so much and MYs (aespa’s fandom) were really worried, I thought I should speak up directly.”

She continued, “From now on, I’ll be more aware and act more carefully. I’m truly sorry for making you worry again.”

However, her brief message hasn’t fully quelled the backlash. Some netizens criticized Karina for choosing to post her statement on Bubble, a paid platform accessible only to fans, rather than on a more public channel like Instagram. Others took issue with the delayed timing of her apology, which came a day after the post went viral, and called the message too short to properly address the controversy.

Shortly after Karina’s message, her agency SM Entertainment released an official statement of its own. “We apologize for causing concern due to our artist Karina’s post,” the agency said.

According to SM, the photo was simply a casual snapshot from Karina’s daily life, with no political meaning. “Once she became aware that the post could be misunderstood, she deleted it immediately,” the statement added.

SM emphasized its commitment to preventing similar incidents: “We sincerely apologize for unintentionally causing concern. We will make greater efforts to be more cautious and prevent such incidents from happening again.” They also warned against misinterpretation: “We hope there will be no further distortion of the artist’s intentions or misinterpretation for specific purposes. We will do our utmost to protect Karina and all of our artists.”

The controversy began when Karina posted a photo showing her in a jacket with red accents and a large number “2” on the chest, accompanied by a rose emoji. Online users quickly drew connections to political symbolism, interpreting the image as a possible reference to the so-called “Rose Election” in South Korea.

Given the long-standing expectation that idols remain politically neutral, speculation spread rapidly. Though Karina deleted the post shortly afterward, the damage had already been done, prompting calls for accountability.