Karina is facing controversy after her Instagram post stirred political backlash during South Korea’s presidential election.
On July 6, she addressed the issue on the YouTube channel Fairy Jaehyung, stating,
“I was truly ignorant.”
Back in May, Karina posted a photo wearing a bright red jacket with the number "2," which some interpreted as supporting a specific candidate.
She clarified,
“There was absolutely no political intention behind it.”
Karina emphasized her lack of knowledge, saying,
“Even though I was overseas at the time, I should have known better. I realized I need to be more aware and educate myself. It’s true, I was too ignorant.”
The post went up on May 27 and quickly ignited debates among netizens. After realizing the potential misunderstanding, she deleted the photo.
SM Entertainment also responded at that time:
“Karina was simply sharing a moment from her daily life on social media with no political intent. We sincerely apologize for causing concern unintentionally.”
Karina expressed her regret over the situation, mentioning the emotional toll it took on her and the group:
“Since I caused the controversy, I felt I should take responsibility. But it was really hard seeing the other members affected by it too.”
Catch her full comments in the video below:
