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Karina at the Prada Fashion Show in January in Italy: "I'm sorry I surprised you so much"
Photo:
Victor Boyko/Getty Images
A well-known K-pop star has apologized to her fans after they accused her of "betrayal" - because she has a boyfriend.
Yu Ji-min, known by her stage name Karina, posted a photo of her handwritten statement on her Instagram account after fans expressed outrage over her recently revealed relationship with actor Jae-Wook Lee.
The British media “The Times” and “BBC” reported first.
"I'm sorry that I surprised you so much," wrote the 23-year-old on Instagram.
She addressed the letter, written in Korean, to her fans, who call themselves MYs.
»I know how disappointed MYs who supported me must have been and how upset they are.«
"Isn't the love your fans give you enough?"
The singer is the front woman of the four-piece band Aespa.
In 2020, the women achieved their breakthrough with the single “Mamba”.
Last year, her album My World sold 2.1 million copies in South Korea.
The relationship became public on February 27th.
Karina and actor Lee, 25, later confirmed that the pair had met last year.
Fans then took to social media to speak out and even rented trucks to drive up to Karina's management office.
"Isn't the love your fans give you enough?" an electronic banner asked.
Trucks have become a common way for K-pop fans to express their support or discontent.
Pop stars in South Korea and Japan work under high personal pressure.
Just a decade ago, it was common for K-pop agencies to ban stars from dating or even owning a personal cell phone.
Even today, admissions of romantic relationships are often viewed by fans as scandalous.
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