K-pop star Karina is forced to apologize to her fans for having a boyfriend

Female K-pop star and member of the musical group Aespa Yoo Ji-min, known artistically as Karina, 23, has been forced to apologize publicly for having a romantic relationship with actor Lee Jae-Wook, 25. “I know that many of my followers must be disappointed, so I wanted to sincerely apologize to my fans who have given me the warmest support since my debut,” she wrote this Wednesday. the artist on her Instagram account, where 12.7 million people follow it. Artists who are part of the South Korean music industry deal with unfair conditions. The most devastating: the exacerbated exposure to which they are subjected. Many followers of these teenage bands consider it a betrayal for their idols to maintain romantic relationships. Even some agencies that represent these artists establish the clause of not having a partner, so that they can maintain an image of purity and virginity.

“I'm even more sorry because I know how you feel. “I write this despite the worry that this may hurt again because I wanted to convey my sincerest apologies to the fans who have given me the warmest winter since the moment I debuted,” Karina confirms in her statement, written by her own handwriting, and published on the social network. Its beginnings date back to 2020, with the single Black Mamba —last year the album My World It sold more than two million copies in South Korea. The South Korean artist says she feels especially sorry for having disappointed her most loyal followers. “Each of my fans is still the most important thing to me,” she continues. Additionally, she clarifies that she wants to “heal any wounds she may have caused” and “show the more mature side” of herself so as not to “disappoint anyone.” Karina's reaction occurred after a South Korean media made public the news of her courtship last week, which was automatically confirmed by the representation agencies of Jae-Wook and the singer. Although it was specified that the relationship is in an early phase, since both met last week during Paris fashion week.

Some statements that agitated her most staunch followers, who have asked the artist for explanations with multiple messages released on social networks. “The love your fans give you is not enough,” she reads among herself. the hate messages received in their Instagram posts: “It is wrong to use the money and love of your fans to love another man.” “Why did you decide to betray your fans? Apologize directly. Otherwise we will stop following you,” another Internet user says angrily. Among the most violent reactions, a group of fans rented a vehicle and paraded it in front of the offices of Karina's representation agency, SM Entertainment, in Seoul, with illuminated signs and hate messages, as reported by the TV channel. American television CNN. In addition, the price of his group's shares has plummeted more than 10% since the announcement of Karina's courtship.

It is very common for South Korean celebrities to receive money in the form of charitable donations to improve their public image or pay for their advertising promotion. This further extremes the relationship between artists and representation agencies, who go out of their way to fulfill the wishes of fans, and consequently increases the pressure on K-pop stars, as they face day after day a intense scrutiny. In 2018, when artists Hyuna and E-Dawn began dating, their record label Cube Entertainment saw its stock drop several points. Both artists were suspended by Cube, under which they had been performing together as part of the Triple H ensemble.

Even so, not all the messages Karina has received have been hateful. As can be seen in the apology post on her Instagram, many of them envision a paradigm shift in the world of the South Korean cultural industry. “No idol should apologize for dating in 2024,” one of her comments read. Another user writes: “Apologize for loving someone? “You don’t need to do this.”

Anywhere else in the world, the announcement of a celebrity relationship would be little more than one or several headlines. Although they have always denied it, according to the British newspaper The Times, K-pop stars are pressured not to show their relationships in public and thus maintain the almost personal relationship that some followers feel with them. All this to show an image of purity of young artists and to maintain the fanatical vision of the artist as an object of desire.