With South Korea in the midst of election season, Korean celebrities, especially idols, are treading carefully with their social media activity. As the nation anticipates its next president, even seemingly neutral posts can be scrutinized for potential political implications, putting celebrities at risk of being accused of expressing support for a particular candidate.

aespa's Karina has recently found herself in a heated discussion online after she posted and immediately deleted a photo on her Instagram. 

On May 27, Karina uploaded a series of photos taken on a street in Tokyo, Japan, wearing a red jersey with a bold diagonal stripe and the number '2' on the front, posing playfully for the camera. She promptly deleted the photo when it sparked an accusation that she was subtly revealing her political allegiance.

Since red is the official color of the conservative People Power Party, and the number 2 is the ballot number for candidate Kim Moon Soo, some netizens interpreted the post as a subtle endorsement of his campaign.

Not only that, some netizens were certain Karina had posted to show her political support since she uploaded the photo with a rose emoticon. Korean netizens accused that the rose represents the 'Rose President Election,' which refers to the Spring time president election that occurred in May 2017, after former president Park Geun Hye was impeached. 

Presidential elections are usually held in December in South Korea but the 2017 election took place in May, and was referred to as the 'Rose President Election,' since Roses bloom in May. Korean netizens are accusing Karina of using the Rose emoticon to refer to the 2025 election, which is taking place in early June.

This latest social media upload has sparked a debate among Korean netizens in a popular discussion forum with online users being divided the issue. While some defended Karina's post as being an innocent upload, some criticized that she should've been more attentive to her posts as a public figure.

They discussed:

"Whether she had intentions or not, did she have to upload that during a time like this? Either way, she was thoughtless."

"Why are these malicious comments so harsh?"

"She's not some political fanatic but she did make a mistake. Why did she post photos that would have people talking? On top of that, everyone's sensitive during election period."

"It's so hard being an idol."

"These comments are too much. I feel bad for Karina."

"We experienced the Marshall Law. Even if she had no other intentions with her photos, she should've been more careful and been mindful of how the nation is right now."

"I feel bad she's in the middle of a controversy just because of something small like this."

"It's either she really was thoughtless or she wanted to subtly express her political color. lol."

"It's obvious she was revealing her political support. She even put a rose emoticon to show it's the 'Rose president election' time."

"I am going to be so disappointed in Karina..."

"It's so obvious, she's voting for candidate number 2..."

"She really didn't need to post that photo at a time like this."

"She deleted the post right away too... which also shows she knows what it can stir."

"It must be so tiring to be an idol..."

"If she posted without knowing, then she might look more dumb."

"These political fanatics are making a big deal over nothing..."

"I wish she would have posted after giving it some thought."

"Karina, just post a new photo with a blue outfit that has a number 1 on it. lol."

"How did she even find that jacket? lol."

"I feel so bad for Karina."

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