Karina and other members of South Korean girl group Aespa attend the red carpet at the Mnet Asian Music Awards in Seoul on December 11, 2021. Accused of “betraying” fans, subject to relentless online and real-world public abuse, K-pop star Karina recently issued a grovelling, handwritten apology. Her crime? Dating a South Korean actor.
“An idol’s persona is expected to be romantically available,” said Stephanie Choi, a K-pop expert with the University at Buffalo’s Asia Research Institute. But in return, they may expect their idols to be held to “gruelling professional standards” which extend into their personal lives, with young female stars particularly vulnerable, Bae said.
“If I’m guilty of one thing, it’s that I met someone I love,” he said. “I am 32, okay? I, Park Joon-hyung, am 32 years old and I have a girlfriend,” he added, tearing up. “The idea of dating or the potential to date a K-pop star is definitely used as a business and marketing strategy,” Billboard’s K-pop columnist Jeff Benjamin told AFP.