aespa’s Karina has publicly addressed the political controversy that emerged during South Korea’s presidential election, expressing remorse and admitting, “I was truly ignorant.”
In an episode of the YouTube series Fairy Jaehyung titled “You Finally Came – Youngest Guest: Karina,” released on July 6, the idol spoke candidly about the incident for the first time.
The controversy began when Karina posted a photo of herself wearing a red jacket with the number “2” during the election period—colors and symbols that were closely associated with a particular presidential candidate. “There was absolutely no political intention behind it,”
Karina clarified. “That’s why I felt the need to address it directly. I want to sincerely apologize to the fans and everyone who was affected or concerned.” She explained the situation: “I was out with staff, and it was cold, so I quickly grabbed something to wear. I uploaded the photo to connect with fans, but once I was contacted about it, I immediately took it down.”
Karina continued, “Even though I was overseas at the time, I should have been more careful. I realize now how important it is to be aware and informed. I was simply too ignorant.” She also opened up about the emotional impact of the incident: “Since I was the one who caused the controversy, I wanted to take responsibility. But what hurt the most was seeing how it affected the other members too.”
