Aespa’s Karina deletes Instagram photo amid political controversy over red No. 2 jacket
Karina of K-pop girl group aespa poses in red “2” jacket, sparking political controversy. She later deleted the photo. Captured from her Instagram
Karina says post had 'no political intent' as SM Entertainment issues apology
Karina of K-pop girl group aespa faced online criticism after posting a photo wearing a jacket with a red number ‘2,’ stirring political controversy just days ahead of the June 3 presidential election.
Karina shared a casual photo on Instagram taken on a street in Japan, captioned simply with a rose emoji, Tuesday. In the image, she was seen wearing a black jacket adorned with diagonal red stripes and a bold red number “2.” Her face was mostly hidden behind the jacket's zipper as she struck a playful pose.
The post soon went viral on online communities under the title “Karina’s recent update,” prompting speculation that the idol was subtly endorsing a particular political candidate — specifically, the No. 2 candidate represented by the conservative People Power Party, which uses red as its campaign color.
The photo has since been deleted from her account.
Some netizens commented, “She must be a patriotic conservative,” “Karina is No. 2 for sure” and “I’m a fan starting today.”
Netizens argued that the post was tone-deaf in light of the upcoming election, with comments such as, “It’s hard to believe this wasn’t intentional during such a sensitive time,” and “Wearing red with the number 2 now of all times? That’s careless, regardless of intent.”
Others defended Karina, suggesting the backlash was excessive: “If she deleted it right away, she probably didn’t mean it,” and “Not everything has to be political.”
Apology from Karina
Karina addressed the issue directly via the fan communication platform Bubble on Wednesday, saying, “I’m really sorry for making MY (the fandom name) worry.” She added, “As the misunderstanding continued to grow and many MYs became concerned, I thought I needed to speak to you directly. From now on, I’ll be more mindful and careful in my actions. I’m truly sorry for making you worry again.”
Her agency, SM Entertainment, also released an official statement apologizing for the incident. “Karina’s post was intended to share a casual moment from her daily life and had no other purpose or intention,” the agency said. “However, upon realizing that the post could cause misunderstanding, she deleted it immediately. We sincerely apologize for the unintended concern.”
SM added, “We will be more attentive to prevent similar incidents in the future. We hope that Karina’s intentions are no longer distorted or misinterpreted, and we will continue doing our best to protect all of our artists, including Karina.”
The incident highlights the scrutiny celebrities face around elections in Korea. In previous elections, entertainers have been criticized for wearing colors, making gestures, or writing captions that could be interpreted as politically suggestive.
Some have even faced backlash for things as subtle as the color of their phone cases or dyed hair in voting selfies. As the election nears, stars are walking an increasingly fine line — even seemingly innocent posts can quickly become politicized.
This article is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.