K-pop star Karina and actor Lee Jae-wook split shortly after going public
 

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A K-pop star who had to issue a grovelling apology to fans for having a boyfriend is single again.

Karina and actor Lee Jae-wook rocked the K-pop world when they went public with their relationship in February, with some angry fans accusing her of "betrayal".

Lee's agency C-JeS Studio confirmed the break up, saying he wanted to "focus on his filming projects".

They added that the duo would "continue to support each other as colleagues".

The backlash - which also saw Karina criticised for being an irresponsible frontwoman of her four-woman group, aespa - prompted her to issue an apology on Instagram, where she vowed "to heal the wounds" she had inflicted.

"I apologise for surprising you greatly," wrote the singer, whose real name is Yu Ji-min. She pledged to show fans a "more mature and hardworking side" in future.

Some fans drove a "protest truck" to her management agency when the news broke.

"Is the love given to you by your fans not enough?" blared an electronic billboard on the vehicle.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-68711076

with some angry fans accusing her of "betrayal".

What is wrong with these weirdos?

it's crazy, isn't it

Yep, almost like they view her as a piece of property and not an actual human being

Im sure teenage girls in South Korea will be most vexed

Theirs is not an isolated incident.
Days before, South Korean actors Han So-hee and Ryu Jun-yeol had also announced that they have separated - just two weeks after publicly acknowledging their relationship.
The couple parted ways following a backlash from fans, who accused them of being in a "transit relationship", noting that Ryu had recently ended a seven-year romance with his Reply 1988 co-star singer-actress Lee Hyeri.
Han, who most recently starred in the Netflix period thriller Gyeongseong Creature, took to Instagram last Friday with a lengthy and emotional message disputing the allegations. "Any more of these groundless speculations and it will really wear me out," she wrote in the post, which has since been deleted.
After the split, Han's agency 9ATO Entertainment said: "The two both found their roles as actors to be more important. They promised to no longer be emotionally exhausted with their personal life."
Last October, Blackpink singer Jisoo and actor Ahn Bo-hyun ended their relationship just two months after they said they were dating.


…so this is a requirement, then…that these young celebrities/artist don’t have any personal/romantic attachments if they wish their careers to thrive in their industries…?…this is kind of brand new information for me, as Phoebe would say…

I swear SK is often a little window into a dystopian future - lots of unusual social phenomena can be observed there, and a lot of the time, the West is less than a decade behind. I wouldn't be surprised if we start seeing more of this over here. Along with the 4B Movement.

I actually wouldn't be surprised if some of the criticisms from her female fans are strongly linked to 4B ideology.

never heard of that one before, the world really is going a bit crazy

…I had to google 4B ideology, I’m so not down with the trends and the kids…

…oh…:laugh:…at least I’m not the only one not down with it all…

…South Korea has always been quite ‘non sexual’ though, hasn’t it…?…with young people and an ‘awkwardness’ of young people growing into adulthood…?…

4B is 100% coming this way, in a couple of years everyone will be aware of it IMO. It tends to go that way - little whispers on the Internet grapevine for a while and then all of a sudden things go mainstream.

Pretty sure there was a strong 4B movement in the clubs when I was at uni in the 80s

:skull:

…so basically, embracing the single life…?..I mean, I know the ideology is more layered but that’s the nub of it…?…

I suppose, the outcome is staying single but the complex and relevant part is the reasons for staying single - i.e. it's not just a "haven't met the right person" situation, it's an "even if I did meet the right person/someone I really liked I am committed to refusing to personally engage with men in any way" situation... as an ideological backlash against patriarchal structures and the gendered social contract.

TBH I'm not sure it's going to end well, given already-dropping birth rates, the economic devastation that comes with ageing societies, and the tendency already shown by some western governments to (essentially) force the issue. All getting a bit Handmaid's Tale.

I believe the eventual aim is to force governments (and men in general) to "make it worth it" - if being in relationships and having children stops putting women at an economic and social disadvantage, then they'll be more willing to do it.

So in essence "Volcels" ? :laugh:

Yes... well I guess those already existed, but it was usually a "Jesus thing" before :think:.

…is it not the opposite of Handmaid’s Tale, though…(..I mean, I don’t know because it’s a series that I haven’t watched but I obviously know a rough outline of the plot etc…)…isn’t that about ‘women’s purpose being to bear children and whatever other life serves the patriarchy…’…whereas this is demanding that there is no attachments at all for any purpose…almost being revered as ‘goddesses’ ….actually, I’m not sure…I just need to get my thoughts around it all a bit…

…is that the same as asexual/non sexual…which was my meaning of ‘goddess like’…which, doesn’t feel similar to Handmaid’s Tale…but then, I haven’t watched that…

Well the handmaid's tale part is where Patriarchy does what Patriarchy does, completely fails to enact positive change and instead oppresses people into procreation. America's already doing its best. They pretend it's about fetal rights, souls, God and whatever but the real reason is that they desperately want to increase the birth rate.

…increase the birth rate while at the same time, reducing the lifespan age is the crazy thing of it as well…maybe it also has shades of Midsommer movie plot as well in throwing all of the oldies off cliffs when they retire from the workforce…

That was a creepy film ^

…I didn’t like it, it was a bit too creepy for me…and I get that they liked to cull the population when they reached an older age….but could they not give them a pill or an injection…did they have to break every bone in their body and them still be alive and in agony…what on earth…

The whole film was weird and messed up tbf

…I really wanted them all just to run and leave and not look back and didn’t want the film to carry on and end because I knew it was just going to be awful for them…and it obviously was…I just don’t understand why these characters stay when everything and everyone around them is so weird and it’s all very foreboding…I wouldn’t have gone in the first place, tbh…