K-pop star Karina apologizes after relationship became public

A K-pop star has humiliatedly apologized after outraged fans accused her of “betrayal” because she has a boyfriend.

Fans reportedly drove a truck to pop star Karina’s agency after discovering she was dating actor Lee Jae-wook.

“Isn’t the love your fans give you enough?” required an electronic sign on the vehicle.

In a letter shared on Instagram, the Aespa leader promised to “heal the wounds” she had inflicted on her.

However, this is not an isolated incident. Pop stars in South Korea and Japan work in notoriously high-pressure industries, where such personal revelations can be difficult to handle.

Just a decade ago, it was common practice for K-pop agencies to ban new stars from dating or even having a personal mobile phone, and even now admitting romantic relationships was often considered scandalous to fans.

Last August, the BBC reported on how Blackpink lead vocalist Jisoo’s relationship with actor Ahn Bo-hyun shook the K-pop world. Some experts then told the BBC that pop stars, as agencies, seek to sell them as “romantically obtainable” idols.

In Japan, many pop stars are subject to “no dating” clauses in their contracts, and marriage requires permission.

News of Karina’s relationship first broke on February 27, and Karina and Lee, 25, later confirmed that the two had met last year. Lee’s agency, C-JeS Studio, asked for “warm respect…as this involves her private life.”

But some of Karina’s fans headed to the headquarters of SM Entertainment, the company that formed and manages aespa. These trucks have become a common practice used by K-pop fans to show support or discontent in recent days.

“Is the love that Karina’s fans have given you not enough? Why did you decide to betray the fans? Please apologize directly. Otherwise, you will see a decrease in album sales and empty seats at concerts” , said one of those messages.

However, not everyone was unhappy with the relationship with Lee, who debuted in the drama Memories Of The Alhambra in 2018 and rose to prominence after starring in the hit period fantasy drama Alchemy of Souls.

“You don’t need to apologize for feeling. I will always support your happiness. You deserve all the love, support, all the good things,” one of them wrote.