Has aespa Karina’s Brand Value Suffered From Political Controversy?

aespa member Karina‘s longstanding reputation and fame have become a matter of heated debate due to her dipping brand value after her latest controversy.

Karina was embroiled in a high-profile political scandal after she posted a picture wearing a jacket with the color red and the number “2” written on it during the Korean presidential election. Many interpreted the picture as her endorsing the People Power Party, as red and “2” are its representative color and number, respectively. She also used a rose emoji for the photo’s caption, which was associated with the 2025 presidential election in particular, further validating the accusations against Karina.

aespa’s Karina Deletes Instagram Post After Sparking Huge Unexpected Controversy

Given that former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who belongs to the People Power Party, had sent the nation into a crisis last December by trying to impose martial law abruptly, Karina’s perceived association with the party was not received kindly by the general public. Although Karina later apologized for the controversy, her effort to distance herself from the political party was ineffective, as it latched onto the idol, even using her as an unofficial promotional mascot.

aespa Gets Further Dragged Into Political Controversy Despite Karina’s Post Deletion

This incident has left a huge dent in Karina’s reputation, and it was reflected in her brand reputation ranking. In June, Karina’s ranking dropped to 26, marking a significant drop from her previous month’s 4th rank. In fact, since March, she has been consistently ranking within the top 5 position, reflecting her sustained popularity.

While a post highlighting this drop in her ranking went viral on Nate Pann, fans argued that it didn’t reflect the ground reality, given that Karina was still the face of major brands.

• “So, according to the ranking, Giselle is more popular than Karina? LOL. Brand reputation ranking is just for reference. It’s not for determining your level. What are you even talking about?”
• “Most of the people who turned on her because of the political controversy were just socially awkward girls from female-dominated forums. Did you really think something like that would actually hurt Karina…? That kind of self-importance is seriously embarrassing. Damn.”
• “What the hell? This is the first time I’ve seen an idol get criticized for falling in the brand reputation ranks. It isn’t something you should trust blindly.”
• “If the controversy actually caused real damage, she’d be dropped from ads first, lol. But in reality, she’s still doing several major commercials right now, lolol. Thanks for the delusional coping, fangirl.”
• “Yeah, sure.”