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

The 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 years.

“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,” the artist wrote this Wednesday on her Instagram account, where she is followed by 12.7 millions of people.

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

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 one of my fans is still the most important thing to me,” she continues.

Furthermore, she clarifies that she wants to “heal the wounds that she may have caused” and “show the more mature side of her” 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.

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Some statements that agitated her most staunch followers, who have asked the artist for explanations with multiple messages released on social networks.

“The love that your fans give you is not enough,” she reads among the hate messages received in her 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 share price of her group has seen its shares fall more than 10% since the announcement of Karina's engagement.

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 exacerbates the relationship between artists and representation agencies, who go out of their way to fulfill fans' wishes, and consequently increases the pressure on K-pop stars as they face intense scrutiny day after day. 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.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by KARINA (@katarinabluu)

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.