“She didn’t need to apologize”: Fans rise in support of aespa’s Karina following her apology letter post addressing her dating news

An apology letter was shared by Aespa's Karina on her Instagram account on March 5, 2024, addressing the recent news of her relationship with actor Lee Jae-wook. In the letter, Karina expressed her regret to her fans, acknowledging their disappointment at the unexpected revelation of her dating status (confirmed by Dispatch).

She recognized the negative attention and criticism she had received in the past few days and might have felt compelled to apologize for not informing her fans beforehand. Despite the backlash, loyal supporters of Karina and aespa rallied behind her, asserting that she should not be held accountable for her personal choices.

They took to social media platforms like X to express their support for her, emphasizing that she deserves to live her life without facing unwarranted criticism and hate. Fans voiced their solidarity regarding the fact that she should not feel obligated to apologize for decisions regarding her private life.

In the letter, she said:

"Although this letter may be too short to express all of my feelings, thank you for reading it. In the future, I want to show you a more mature side, without disappointing MYs, as I work even harder in my activities. MYs, please make sure to eat well, and let’s meet one another in good shape. I’m sorry, and I’m very grateful."

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aespa's Karina pens down apology letter addressed to fans

While K-pop idols often enjoy immense popularity, the prospect of them dating can sometimes trigger strong negative reactions from certain segments of their fanbase. Social media platforms often serve as breeding grounds for such fan hate, expressing their discontent through online comments, hashtags, and even direct messages to the idols themselves.

Such behavior was recently faced by aespa's Karina, who became a victim of extensive hate just on the revelation of her romantic relationship with actor Lee Jae-wook. On February 27, 2024, the two stars were confirmed to be dating, shocking the K-pop community. While many fans celebrated, some others were disappointed by its warningless arrival.

The confirmation of their dating was made by both companies.

SM Entertainment's acknowledgment (translated by Allkpop) said:

"The two are currently in the process of getting to know each other. As this concerns the actor's personal life, we kindly request that you regard it with warmth and respect while he continues his filming commitments."

In the wake of this news, just in a matter of a few days, Karina faced extreme criticism and hate in many forms. Not only negative social media comments or posts but even protest trucks were sent to spread hate and express disappointment.

This came on quite harshly for the idol who was compelled to write an apology letter for the suddenness of her dating news. She showcased her awareness of the fans' disappointment due to this news.

The letter (translated by Soompi) read:

"Hello, this is Karina, Firstly, I apologize for surprising you greatly, and I wound up late because I feel very cautious towards the MYs [Aespa’s fans] who must have been very surprised. I know very well how disappointed the MYs who have supported me up until now must be, and I also know that they are feeling upset while thinking back on the things we’ve said to one another."

She continued:

"Even though I’m worried that this letter may hurt MYs one more time, the reason I’m taking the risk and writing this is because I want to convey that I am sincerely sorry to the fans who gifted me with the warmest winter of my life from the moment I debuted."

The idol concluded:

"Starting now, I want to do a good job filling the places where MYs have been hurt. I have always been sincere towards MYs, and even now, each and every one of you is truly precious to me."

However, many fans came to her support, expressing that there was no reason for her to apologize for something she had decided to do in her private life. The genuine fans called out the toxic fans for their behavior.

Here are some of their supportive comments:

Fans even called out aespa's company, SM Entertainment, for not being able to protect their idol in the wake of a personal crisis due to a quite general topic. However, they were delighted and comforted to see that many people turned up in support of Karina after the revelation of her letter.