Aespa’s Karina Breaks Silence Again After Political Backlash: “I Missed You So Much”
As the highly anticipated June comeback of K-pop girl group Aespa draws near, member Karina has once again reached out to fans — this time with an emotional apology. The message, shared through the fan communication platform Bubble, follows a social media post from late May that drew widespread criticism and political speculation in South Korea.
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Aespa – A Message from the Heart
Karina began her latest post by acknowledging the difficult weeks since the controversy erupted. Thanking fans for their patience, she admitted how challenging the period had been for her and expressed her deep regret.
“You’ve waited for a long time,” she wrote, according to AllKpop. “I practiced and prepared really hard to meet your expectations… I’m so sorry and thankful for making you worry. Are you doing well? I missed you so much, too.”
The heartfelt message marks her second public statement since the incident and signals her intent to reconnect with fans as Aespa returns to the spotlight.
Aespa’s Controversial Post That Sparked Political Backlash
On May 27, Karina posted a photo of herself wearing a red jacket with the number 2 and captioned it with a rose emoji. While seemingly harmless, the combination of red, the number 2, and the rose symbol was quickly linked to one of South Korea’s political parties amid the upcoming presidential election, which has been informally dubbed the Rose Election.
The timing and imagery ignited a flurry of political interpretations. Within hours, the post was deleted — but not before screenshots circulated widely online, triggering heated debates and sparking intense scrutiny of Karina’s intent.
Public Response
Reactions to Karina’s apology have been divided. While thousands of fans flooded social media with supportive comments praising her for being transparent and vulnerable, others remained skeptical.
Some critics pointed out that her message included phrases that reminded them of Ilbe, a controversial far-right online forum in South Korea. Although no direct link was made, concerns were raised about her choice of words possibly carrying unintended political connotations.
Still, many fans defended her, arguing that the backlash was disproportionate and rooted in misinterpretation.
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