On February 28, aespa’s official YouTube channel released a behind-the-scenes video of the fan meeting for their first movie, “My First Page.” The video showed the members attending the fan meeting and interacting with fans who had gathered to watch the movie.
While the video would have typically received positive comments, this time around, the reaction was different. The timing of the upload, just one day after Karina’s relationship with actor Lee Jae-wook was confirmed, did not sit well with some fans.
Some fans criticized Karina, saying, “She chose love over her members and fans, so she should take responsibility for her actions,” “Karina has changed so much in just a year,” “How can she meet someone and start dating just because they have overlapping schedules?” “It’s a shame that one leader can drag the team down like this,” “Karina is a goddess. She betrayed her fans,” “What did the other members do wrong?” “It’s unfair that the other members haven’t been on Bubble since the dating rumors broke,” “It’s infuriating that she uploaded the video like nothing happened,” and “She should step down as leader.”
On February 27, Dispatch released photos of Lee Jae-wook and Karina on a date, reporting that the two were in a relationship. A source close to the couple told Dispatch, “It seems like they fell in love at first sight. They fell in love the moment they met at the fashion show.”
Lee Jae-wook and Karina attended the Prada fashion show in Milan, Italy last month. They sat together in the front row, drawing attention.
Lee Jae-wook confirmed his relationship with Karina on the same day. His agency, CJes Entertainment, released an official statement saying, “Lee Jae-wook and Karina are getting to know each other. Please watch over them warmly as the actor is currently filming and this is a personal matter.”
Karina’s agency, SM Entertainment, also confirmed the relationship, saying, “They are getting to know each other.”
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