The windbreaker worn by Karina of the popular K-pop group Aespa, which inadvertently sparked a fiery "political controversy," has become a scarce commodity in online shopping malls. On the 27th, Karina shared a snapshot of herself on her social networking service (SNS), donning a sleek black jumper adorned with a bold red numeral "2." This innocuous post soon ignited online speculation, hinting that Karina might be subtly endorsing a particular presidential candidate ahead of the elections.
Karina swiftly deleted the post, seemingly aware of the brewing storm. However, this action only fueled the fire, especially when Lee Soo-jung, the chairman of the People's Power Party Cooperation Committee, and Baek Ji-won, the spokesman for the People's Power Central Election Committee, publicly backed Karina with fiery remarks like "If you touch Karina, you will all die" and "SHOUT OUT TO" her.
As the controversy raged on, the interest in the jumper worn by Karina skyrocketed. The fashion item in question, a "WINDBREAKER BLACK RED" from New York-based label Barquera, priced at approximately 720,000 Korean won, saw most sizes verge on selling out due to the surge in attention.
On the 28th, Karina addressed the controversy head-on. Through the fan communication platform Bubble, she stated, "I never meant for this to happen, but I felt compelled to clarify directly because the misunderstanding had me deeply concerned." Her agency, SM Entertainment, echoed her sentiments in an official statement, saying, "Karina was merely sharing everyday content on social media without any ulterior motives or intentions. Upon realizing it could be misconstrued, she promptly removed the post. We sincerely apologize for the unintended concern we have caused."
In the meantime, Karina's group Aespa enjoyed immense success last year with hits like "Supernova," "Armageddon," and "Whiplash." They are currently gearing up for a comeback in June.
