Karina faces increasingly severe online abuse, which prompted legal action from SM Entertainment to protect her rights and safety. The backlash began after a misunderstood Instagram post made during South Korea’s presidential election season, sparking political controversy. Different online communities responded in sharply divided ways, revealing deep-rooted social and political tensions in public discourse.
SM takes legal action to defend Karina from online abuse
SM Entertainment is continuing legal action against malicious posts and comments targeting aespa. On June 5, the company posted an official statement. They collected evidence through fan reports and internal monitoring. Based on that, they filed complaints for defamation, insult, and spreading fake edited videos. Several suspects have already been identified. Some received criminal sentences, including three-year prison terms and five-year probations.
Karina becomes the reason legal action gains urgency
This legal statement appears tied to a recent controversy involving Karina. On May 27, she posted Instagram photos wearing a red jacket with the number “2” and a rose emoji 🌹. Red and “2” symbolize the People Power Party in Korea. People quickly accused her of supporting their candidate Kim Moon-soo. She deleted the post within two hours and said it had no political meaning. Despite her explanation, supporters of Lee Jae-myung launched continuous attacks. Even after Lee’s election win on June 3, the harassment has not stopped.
Online Communities Respond Differently
Reactions across online communities were mixed. MLBPARK, with many middle-aged male users, welcomed SM’s legal action. Some of Karina’s attackers came from that site, but now they are mocked by other users. People there support the idea of meeting those attackers at the police station. Meanwhile, theqoo, a site with many Lee Jae-myung supporters, showed anxiety. Over 1,400 comments appeared under posts about SM’s notice. Some users there acted like SM’s actions were unjust. They even predicted aespa would lose popularity. However, more sensible users on theqoo finally spoke out. They welcomed SM’s decision.
Political rumors fail to justify attacks against Karina
Karina said she had no political intent. Even if she did, South Korea is a democracy. No one should be attacked for expressing a political opinion. Karina had previously been verbally abused by President Lee’s son. Some think that’s why she appeared to oppose Lee’s side. But attacking a victim is never justified. Those who bullied Karina will likely face legal consequences. The law should protect everyone—especially those who speak up or are unfairly targeted.

Here’s a link to MLBPARK. Here’s a link to theqoo.
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YES! So happy SM is going after the haters attacking Karina legally. She’s got literally tens of millions of overseas fans. They’re only quiet ’cause they don’t fully realize she’s being targeted yet.