Foreigners criticize Korean fandom culture that led to Karina's apology

Article: Karina posts apology letter... foreigners criticize, "Korean fans have a mental illness"

Source: Money Today via Naver

[+1,360, -31] It is a mental illness... fandom culture has become so weirdly skewed towards one end of the extreme

[+1,136, -24] I don't feel too bad for anyone. It's because of these fans with mental illnesses that idols are able to make the huge amounts of money that they do. If their fans had normal IQs, the entertainment industry would've gone bankrupt.

[+275, -9] I just don't get what they want, it's not like Karina would ever date one of them if she wasn't dating Lee Jae Wook ㅋㅋ

[+176, -1] As a Korean person myself, I don't understand why she apologized either

[+224, -54] This is such an embarrassment to our country ㅋㅋㅋ Foreign fans are so happy whenever they see Taylor Swift kiss her boyfriend in public, meanwhile crazy Korean fans are in delusional relationships with their idols to the point where they've already decided on names for their future grandchildren together. It's embarrassing that we're considered a first world country.

[+55, -4] Yes, it's a funny situation that a singer has to apologize for dating, but Aespa isn't just a normal "singer." They're not musicians who are in the business of music. If that were the case, fans would congratulate the members if they even wanted to get married. But Aespa does not make money off of their music, they make money off of fostering the illusion of a relationship with their fans and getting all personal with them like they're in some dating simulation game. The consumers who fell into that are now wanting to leave because that illusion has been broken ㅋㅋ If Karina wanted to keep her business model, then getting into a public relationship should've been avoided at all costs.

[+54, -10] I actually think it was sly of Karina for posting an apology. Korean fans do not have a mental illness. Just like how Karina is free to date if she wants, Korean fans are free to leave the fandom if they want. But Karina posting an apology to that is just making the fans seem like they have a mental illness for it.

[+55, -15] These comments aren't getting it. Idols live off of their fandoms. I know that the people in the comments love looking down on fans but these fans are the ones who are buying over 100 copies of albums just to get into a fan signing, paying for birthday parties, fan meets, etc. Most of you in the comments only, at most, drool over random pictures you see of these idols online, but it's different for these actual fans. It was a huge shock to the fandom as evidenced by Karina's fanpage admin not showing up to her next schedule. Karina's apology was mostly written as a last ditch effort to keep their next album from flopping. Idols are free to date who they want, but that also means fans, extreme or not, are allowed to leave if they want as well too.

[+36, -2] It is a mental illness. Why do fans think they have a right to act like a crazy mother-in-law to these idols? A person in their twenties dating is a completely normal thing. The only thing it bothers is the people who were delusional enough to believe they were in a relationship with these idols. Go live in the real world ㅋㅋㅋ

[+33, -1] Even as a Korean, this situation is funny to me

[+28, -2] It's thanks to these "mentally ill" fandoms that sales go up and images are created. So idols have no problem profiting off of the mental illness of fans but the second those fans want to leave and your sales numbers are affected, you're calling them out for being ill? ㅋㅋ Why do you think shareholders actually listen to these fans? Because they know that they're the backbone of their business model.

[+25, -0] This is only happening because 90% of the money Karina makes comes off the back of these mentally ill fans. 

[+26, -2] Do foreigners not think this happens in their countries? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ I assure you, I bet it's even worse over there, they're no peaches either ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[+22, -1] And yet all the money idols make comes from the mentally ill...

[+20, -0] I think it's weird that Karina and her agency posted that apology at all.. purposely to make Korean fandom cultuer to look mentally ill like this.

[+12, -0] I can't believe there's an idiot up there comparing Karina's situation to Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift is a singer who runs her career like a business professional. Karina's just some visual who is dressed and told to dance and sing step by step by her company. Karina's business model is reliant on her visuals and communicating those visuals to her fans.

[+12, -3] Karina basically screwed her fans over by posting this apology. She made all of them look mentally ill. To foreigners, Aespa fans will forever be branded as mentally ill.

[+9, -0] The truck protest was sent by a Chinese fan so why are Korean fans being criticized by foreigners...???

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