Americans are no strangers to reading fanatically deep into their favorite celebrities’ politics, trying to glean some modicum of guidance from their idols. And it appears South Korea is no different, as the internet exploded over a photo one pop star uploaded, appearing to align them with a particular party.
In South Korea, the various party candidates are numbered and given colors. People can show their support by wearing their colors and showing their numbers. However, most celebrities try to stay neutral as long as possible. Alienating fans with politics is never a good thing when you’re trying to be a pop star.
But, South Korean pop star Karina of the girl group Aespa has kicked the hornet’s nest. She made a post to her Instagram wearing a red and black windbreaker with the number two written on it. In South Korea, this could be construed to align with People Power Party candidate Kim Moon Soo.
This candidate is known for being anti-feminist and supporting conservative family values. The pop star alluded to aligning with this party with her social media picture. Although it may have been a simple post, the comment section has blown up with speculation and accusations.
Political Persuasion Proposed By Pop Stars Post
As soon as she realised the backlash, the South Korean pop star removed the photo, but the damage was already done. The image was out there, and the world waded in with political speculations.
In South Korea, it isn’t uncommon to see pop stars and other celebrities do everything they can to make sure they don’t accidentally show a political allegiance. Showing political standpoints is a serious thing to do. They’re as far from the Trump-Toe-Sucking Kid Rock type as possible.
“She’s gotta be like a massive supporter too if she’s willing to risk her reputation to support them because there’s NO WAY she didn’t know, especially when idols are scared to even hold up peace signs,” one commenter added.
Since then, SM Entertainment has reached out, explaining the photo of the Korean pop star. “Once she realised that the post could be misunderstood, she immediately deleted it. We sincerely apologise for any distress this may have caused unintentionally.”
“Our agency will also be more careful and make greater efforts to prevent such incidents from happening in the future. We hope that our artists’ intentions will no longer be misrepresented or consumed with a particular agenda, and we will do our utmost to protect Karina and all of our artists. Thank you.”
Talk about political eggshells.