K-pop star Karina is forced to apologize to her fans for having a boyfriend. “I know that many of my followers must be disappointed,” the singer wrote on Instagram after learning of her relationship with actor Lee Jae-Wook.

Artists of this genre deal with contracts that prohibit them from maintaining romantic relationships in order to preserve a virginal image. Many followers of these teenage bands consider it a betrayal for their idols to maintain romantic relationships, writes Joo Sung-hyun.