“I truly was ignorant, I get that now.”
Earlier this summer, aespa‘s Karina was at the center of a massive political controversy after sharing a controversial photo on Instagram. The SM Entertainment star was wearing a red jacket with the number 2 on it in said photos, which at the time sparked widespread speculation among Korean netizens due to the ongoing elections.

The controversy led to viral accusations of Karina being a right-wing conservative supporter. Among international fans, the term “MAGArina” even started trending, relating Karina to United States President Donald Trump.

Even though Karina herself and SM Entertainment both issued apologies and claimed the star had no intentions of showing support through the post, the backlash toward her continued. Now, it seems the aespa star has finally stepped in to address and explain the controversy herself during a recent talk show appearance.
aespa’s Karina Personally Addresses Recent Political Controversy
During the appearance, Karina opens up about how the controversy has triggered a new “dream” for her: living a life without troubles.

So… there was a bit of an issue recently, and because of that, I found myself thinking, not just for myself but for the people around me too, that I really hope we can all just live peacefully without trouble.
I honestly had no such intention at all. That’s why I wanted to talk about it. But regardless, fans were worried. And that made me feel really sorry.
I genuinely wanted to say how sorry I am to our fans and to everyone who might have been hurt by it. I really had no idea it would become something so serious, and I feel deeply sorry for causing such distress.
— aespa’s Karina
In a clip that has since gone viral, Karina then explains how she came to wear the controversial jacket and blames her “ignorance” for causing the massive backlash.
— 풀팡 (@pulpang2) July 6, 2025
It started when I went out with our staff and, because it was cold, I just bought a jacket and wore it. I posted a picture to connect with fans, but then I was contacted about it, and had to delete it. Looking back, I was really ignorant about it all.
Even if I was abroad, it was still something I should’ve known. And I realized I really need to be more aware and educate myself more about these things. I truly was ignorant, I get that now.
At the end of the day, I’m the one who caused all this talk, so I have to take responsibility. But what was hardest was seeing the other members also get caught up in it and affected by it. That really broke my heart.
— aespa’s Karina
You can watch the full episode of her guest appearance below!
드디어 왔구나. 최연소 게스트 카리나..!https://t.co/6zGxKtfDrS#aespa #æspa #에스파 #KARINA #카리나#요정재형 pic.twitter.com/d5FZ5lWnC2
— aespa (@aespa_official) July 6, 2025