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Fact Check: Did aespa’s Karina lose 200K followers due to controversial Instagram post? Know truth behind sudden dip
aespa’s Karina faces criticism after a controversial Instagram post sparks political speculation. Read more to find out what really made her follower count drop.
Karina, of the girl group aespa, is currently facing turbulent waters on social media. The idol recently saw a noticeable dip in her Instagram follower count. It dropped from 24 million to 23.8 million: a loss of around 200,000 followers. The sudden decrease comes into the spotlight following controversy surrounding a now-deleted Instagram post. It sparked outrage among some netizens, particularly in South Korea.
Instagram cleanup or fan unrest?
While the follower loss has led many to link it to the controversy, others are pointing to a different reason entirely. Several fan communities believe the drop is part of Instagram’s periodic purge of inactive and bot accounts.
They also pointed out that it happened before the controversy, around two weeks ago. They argue that other celebrities have experienced similar follower declines around the same time, suggesting the decrease is not unique to Karina.
Deleted post sparks political controversy
On May 27, Karina uploaded a set of photos on her personal Instagram account. In the pictures, she wore a red and black jacket emblazoned with the number 2. She captioned the post with a single rose emoji. While the images may have seemed innocuous to international fans, Korean netizens quickly connected the outfit and the emoji to Kim Moon Soo. He is a polarized figure and presidential candidate in South Korea.
Critics claimed the post resembled a subtle endorsement of the politician, interpreting the red color and the number 2 as political symbols. The post triggered a wave of backlash. Online forums and comment sections are filled with accusations that the idol had crossed a line by allegedly engaging in political expression.
Agency and artist respond with apologies
In response to the growing backlash, Karina swiftly deleted the post just hours after it was uploaded. Her agency, SM Entertainment, issued an official statement. They clarified that the post had no political intent and was simply misunderstood. Karina also personally addressed the controversy. She apologized to fans and the public for any confusion her post may have caused.
Despite her explanation, some Korean fans remain upset. They state that public figures, especially idols with large young fan bases, should be cautious with their online presence. On the other hand, many international fans have defended Karina. They emphasized that the situation was blown out of proportion and was likely rooted in misinterpretation.
