This K-media criticized aespa Karina after her dating confirmation with actor Lee Jae Wook, and compared her to how BLACKPINK Jennie handled the news.
aespa Karina vs BLACKPINK Jennie: How They Addressed Dating Reports Differently
On February 28, Korean media outlet TenAsia discussed the difference between how the two of the biggest global K-pop idols todays, aespa Karina and BLACKPINK Jennie, addressed their dating news differently.
This was after Karina admitted her relationship with Lee Jae Wook, only a month after meeting each other.
On February 27, aespa Karina formally made her relationship with Lee Jae Wook public after Dispatch exposed that they have been dating since January.
In the original article, photos captured from their late-night dates were presented, along with the narrative that they "fell in love at first sight" after meeting at the Milan Fashion Week.
On the same day, SM Entertainment hastily acknowledged the news, shocking the whole entertainment scene. Since Karina has only been in the industry for about four years and is also a key member of aespa, fans and critics claimed that she is not old enough in the industry to be lenient about dating rumors.
ALSO READ: SM Entertainment Confirms aespa Karina, Lee Jae Wook's Relationship
Angry fans showed a cold reaction, stating that she should have been careful as her public recognition and fandom popularity are significant.
Due to this, experts are comparing her to how BLACKPINK Jennie chose a different response other than acknowledgment.
In May 2022, BLACKPINK Jennie was rumored to be dating BTS V after proof of them dating in Jeju Island surfaced. Since then their photos as lovers were leaked, and a video of them being together in Paris, France circulated, proving somehow that they were a couple.
Despite this, BLACKPINK Jennie remained silent from all of these and had neither admitted nor denied that she was seeing BTS V.
With this, Jennie could keep her fans open to the possibility that she might not be in a romantic relationship with V even if she did.
On the contrary, the moment she officially admitted that they were, in fact, dating, their fans couldn't be completely consistent with their love and end up hating them.
Officials Praise BLACKPINK Jennie's Way of Handling Dating News
With this, industry officials commended Jennie's way of remaining silent until the end, regardless of how many times her romantic relationship was raised by the media.
Experts speculated that the artist chose to remain silent, not for the selfish mind, but for the sake of the group and fans.
Officials then emphasized that the response will still depend on how strong the "evidence" of the dating rumor is, but in the end, the artist's own will is the most important.
TenAsia explained:
"As there is a culture that respects the privacy of individual artists, the recognition and silence reflect the artist's will.
In the end, regardless of whether there is evidence or not, it is a 'quick recognition' that reflects Karina's own will.
Many officials say that it is difficult to completely avoid criticism that Karina's professionalism is lacking in this regard."
Industry officials also clarified that while dating is not bad, this is the time that Karina should have been considerate of how it would affect the group and her fans. After all, she is profiting from the love and support that her fans are giving to her.
"Karina is now in a position where she has to prove that ‘your love’ is more important than ‘my love.'"
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Written by Eunice Dawson.
