Fans of actor Lee Jae Wook and girl group aespa’s member Karina, who recently went public with their relationship, are expressing their displeasure.
On the 5th, photos of a “truck protest” outside SM Entertainment’s building were posted on online communities, circulating on platforms like Instiz and X (formerly Twitter).
The photos show a passionate fan of aespa’s Karina staging a truck protest outside SM Entertainment’s building. However, no fan can be seen in the pictures.
The truck has a message saying, “Karina, is the love that fans give you not enough? Why did you choose to betray your fans? Please apologize in person. If not, you’ll see declining album sales and empty concert seats.”
Further statements included, “Rather than feeling sorry to your fans, but for yourself after seven years of hard work!”, “You’ve sabotaged your career,” “All your efforts are being denied due to a single romance rumor,” “Are you satisfied?” The language used was harsh, expressing disappointment.
Fans expressed various opinions, such as “That’s too extreme,” “It’s like stalking,” “That’s not how a fan should behave,” or “They must have been immersed in the parasocial relationship, which is a common marketing strategy used by k-pop artists.”
Since the news of Karina’s romance was public, SM Entertainment’s stock price has been falling. According to the Korea Exchange on the 4th, SM’s stock price was 74,500 won, down 3,700 (4.73%) from the previous day.
After the initial dating report by Dispatch, both Karina and Lee Jae Wook agencies acknowledged their relationship, stating, “The two are indeed dating. They are in the getting-to-know-each-other stage.”
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