"Publicly Revealed Relationships of K-pop Stars Face Public Backlash"
Foreign media pointed out the Korean entertainment environment, where it is difficult to accept the romantic relationships of stars, in response to the news of the breakup between Karina of the group aespa and actor Lee Jae-wook. On the 3rd (local time), CNN reported the breakup news under the headline "K-pop star ends relationship just weeks after sparking fan backlash."
Group aespa's Karina is posing at the red carpet event of the popular music awards ceremony "MMA 2023" (Melon Music Awards) held on the afternoon of December 2 last year at Inspire Arena in Yeongjongdo, Incheon. [Image source=Yonhap News]
CNN analyzed that the two broke up just five weeks after revealing their relationship, highlighting the difficulties of dating in the Korean entertainment industry, which has a passionate fan base.
Earlier, when the dating news of Karina and Lee Jae-wook became known, some fans held a truck protest near the SM Entertainment building, Karina's agency.
One fan displayed a message on a large electronic billboard installed on the truck, saying, "Is the love from Karina's fans not enough for you? Why did you choose to betray the fans? Apologize directly. Otherwise, you will see declining album sales and empty concert seats." As the controversy grew, Karina issued a handwritten apology, stating, "I know very well how disappointed MYs (aespa fandom) who have supported me must be, and that they are upset recalling the conversations we shared," and added, "From now on, I want to show MYs a more mature and hardworking side without disappointing them."
Actor Lee Jae-wook is giving a greeting at the production presentation of the Disney Plus drama 'Royal Loader' held on the morning of February 26 at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
CNN commented, "In the past, K-pop stars who revealed their romantic relationships faced strong public backlash, which affected their careers and contracts," adding, "As a result, entertainment companies have long imposed strict rules on stars to limit public dating and have fostered illusions about celebrities." They further noted, "Although there have been signs of change in recent years, this incident shows that the taboo still remains."
CNN also introduced comments from Karina's Instagram. On the handwritten apology post Karina uploaded, there were opinions such as, "I don't understand why two people who love each other have to break up because of fans," and "If you date someone next time, don't post an apology."
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