Concerns have been raised among Karina’s legion of followers after a large portion of her aespa fanbase declared their intention to boycott the idol. An important Chinese fandom known as Karina Bar recently announced on social media that they will no longer be coordinating mass purchases of aespa’s album and products. Instead, they will be directing all of their finances completely towards supporting Karina’s solo efforts.
Following public outcry over the singer’s treatment by SM Entertainment, the company made this announcement. Among Karina Bar’s demands was that the company take better care of its artists, especially Karina, including making sure her performance clothes are safer and responding better to fan complaints.
Until these demands are addressed, Karina Bar has chosen to concentrate only on supporting herself and has halted all actions that could benefit aespa overall.
正规一不开链接，指定也不会开，以及公司所有销售包括周边在内停止，一切以柳智敏个人为主。
— KARINA Bar_카리나바 (@ChinaKarinaBar) February 29, 2024
Given the reputation of enormous Chinese fanbases for their influence on album sales and general artist promotion, this news has created considerable friction among fans.
However, the majority of online users held the opinion that K-Pop groups were already facing boycotts from Chinese fanbases, and aespa still managed to sell millions of copies despite this. Public perception appears to be that the group will be unaffected even with the departure of this large fans.
#RespectForKARINA
*저희는 팬으로서 카리나가 적절한 보호와 대우를 받길 바랄 뿐입니다.@aespa @SMTOWNGLOBAL
저희의 요구사항은 다음과 같습니다.
1. 무대 위 안전이 보장되는 의상
2. 광야119 신고 건에 대한 대응 및 안내
3. 컨텐츠 지연·누락 업로드 개선
4. 아티스트에 맞는 최적의 스타일링 pic.twitter.com/k0LJD947I1
— KARINA Bar_카리나바 (@ChinaKarinaBar) February 23, 2024
Here we have covered more about aespa:
- aespas’s Second World Tour Announcement Sparks Excitement!
- Ningning of aespa Reigns as Versace’s Newest Global Ambassador!
Fans of aespa members have voiced their displeasure with SM Entertainment’s management on multiple occasions. After SM Entertainment allegedly “sabotaged” NingNing during a marketing event, people were even more furious with her. Get the lowdown on it right here.
For more updates, you can join us on our Twitter account.
