Karina personally apologized to fans ahead of aespa's comeback.
On June 9, Karina reached out to fans through the communication platform Bubble, expressing both gratitude and an apology for the long wait.
She wrote, “You waited a long time. I practiced and prepared really hard to meet your expectations,” adding, “I’m so sorry and thankful for making you worry. Are you doing well?” She continued, “I missed you so much, too,” resuming communication with fans.
Political Controversy Sparked by a Social Media Post
This message came after a social media controversy that occurred on May 27.
At the time, Karina had posted a photo of herself wearing a red jacket with the number “2” on it, accompanied by a rose emoji. This raised suspicions that the post had political connotations.
With Korea’s latest presidential election commonly referred to as the “Rose Election,” since it is taking place in the spring rather than the usual winter time, some speculated that the post was an expression of support for a specific political party, leading to a growing controversy. As the situation escalated, Karina quickly deleted the post.
Karina later clarified on the fan platform, saying, “That wasn’t my intention at all, but the misunderstanding kept growing,” and added, “I’ll be more mindful and careful moving forward.”
Her agency, SM Entertainment, also issued a statement, explaining, “Karina’s post was simply a part of her daily life and had no political meaning or intent whatsoever. Once she realized it could be misunderstood, she deleted it immediately,” denying any deliberate messaging.
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