aespa’s Behavior At Recent Event Sparks Huge Concern Amid Karina’s Controversy
As aespa continues promotions ahead of their comeback, mounting controversy surrounding Karina has begun spilling over into group activities.
Following Karina’s now-deleted Instagram post, which ignited backlash for allegedly containing subtle political messaging, netizens have started closely observing aespa’s public appearances. One recent moment in particular has sparked primary concern: the group’s red carpet appearance at the 2025 Asia Star Entertainer Awards.
A viral post on the popular Korean forum TheQoo quickly gained traction, racking up over 60,000 views and hundreds of comments. In it, netizens analyzed the group’s demeanor at the event, noting what they perceived as visible discomfort among the members… except Karina.
aespa arrived at the Asia Star Entertainer Awards (ASEA) 2025 Red Carpet.
AESPA ON ASEA 2025 #aespa #ASEA2025 @aespa_official pic.twitter.com/SX8hdLyEGB
— 싱크 아카이브 (@synkarchive) May 28, 2025
Several commenters pointed out that while Karina appeared cheerful and smiling, the rest of the members — Winter, Giselle, and Ningning — looked unusually subdued.
- “The other members don’t look happy.”
- “The other members’ expressions look really down… It must’ve felt like a bolt from the blue.”
- “Image is everything.”
- “The other members look so down… I feel bad for them.”
- “Looks like every group schedule is going to be a mess now, ha.”
Many fans expressed concern about the group’s image and how this controversy could affect aespa’s reputation moving forward, especially when group unity and public perception are so crucial in the K-Pop industry.
- “She’s the only one smiling.”
- “Celebrities really do live and die by their image.”
- “Wow, she comes off so shameless.”
- “If the other members go solo, I’ll support them all…”
- “Why do the other members look so down… I’m worried.”
As aespa continues with their scheduled appearances, fans are left wondering how the group will weather the fallout and whether Karina’s controversy will have lasting consequences for all four members.
