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Karina, a member of the K-pop group aespa, apologized Wednesday after posting, and quickly deleting, an Instagram photo that showed her in a red and black jacket with the number 2 on it the day before.
Some online commenters claimed the image appeared to signal support for Kim Moon-soo, the conservative People Power Party’s presidential contender, whose campaign uses red and the ballot number 2.
“I’m truly sorry for making My (aespa’s fandom) worry,” the singer wrote on the subscription platform Bubble after removing the image. “I had absolutely no political intent.”
SM Entertainment, the agency that manages aespa, echoed her message in a statement on Wednesday, calling the photo “everyday content” that was deleted “immediately after we recognized it could be misunderstood.”
The apology came after commenters began referring to the singer as “No. 2 voter Karina” and “conservative Karina.”
Some speculated that she had posted the photo in protest after a person believed to be the son of Representative Lee Jae-myung, the liberal Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, was accused of making sexually harassing remarks about her online.
Others defended Karina, arguing she was an innocent victim of South Korea’s strict celebrity culture, where entertainers are expected to avoid anything that could be seen as political, including party colors, numbers, or even seemingly harmless hand gestures during election season.
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