aespa In Huge Trouble After Karina’s Controversy, Korean Netizens Vow To Boycott

aespa’s upcoming comeback is facing growing backlash before it’s even officially announced, following leader Karina’s recent controversy, as online communities in South Korea continue to flood with negative reactions.

The issue, which has been simmering since earlier this year, was reignited after details related to the group’s comeback were shared online. One post on TheQoo, one of Korea’s largest online forums, quickly gained traction, earning over 70,000 views and hundreds of comments.

The heated reactions quickly turned into calls for a boycott, with many netizens promising not to support aespa’s new release.

Karina, who previously came under fire due to her controversial photos on Instagram and the recent surge in support from conservative circles, seems to be the reason behind these boycott calls. Criticism previously aimed at her has now spread to the group as a whole, potentially threatening the success of their upcoming comeback.

aespa Faces Serious Hurdle Following Karina’s Recent Controversy

Korean netizens accused Karina of “betraying” fans and questioned the group’s attempts at promotion so soon after the controversy.

• “Pass.”
• “How dare the ‘traitorous goddess’ show her face again?”
• “Sorry, but I’ve decided to stop caring.”
• “A comeback…? Honestly, I’m still really hurt… All the time I spent liking them feels so damn pointless now.”
• “This time, I’m not going to listen to their song either…”

Some sarcastically suggested that the group should rely on support from right-wing voters instead of the general public.

• “She’s the goddess of Candidate #2 voters, so they’ll probably stream it a lot! Fighting!”
• “Not listening anymore ^^”
• “Why is the FMKorea [male-driven Korean forum] goddess promoting herself here? FMKorea is waiting for you.”
• “Ugh… this is so annoying.”
• “Apparently, the Candidate #2 voters are going to stream it a lot, haha. You better count on them.”
• “Boycott them. Go promote it on FMKorea.”

With aespa’s comeback scheduled for later this month, all eyes are now on how SM Entertainment and the group will handle the situation — and whether the public backlash will have a measurable impact on their performance.