Baek Ji Won, who is the spokesperson for the central election committee of the People Power Party, took to social media on May 27th KST to express his support for Karina, a member of aespa. Through his Instagram post, he shared a screenshot from aespa’s music video of the song “Supernova”, using the common hip-hop expression “SHOUT OUT TO” to show his respect and support for her. He also highlighted his endorsement by posting the album cover of aespa’s full-length album 'Armageddon', which includes the track 'Supernova'.

This show of support occurred amidst a controversy surrounding Karina, who was accused of making political gestures by sharing casual photos from Japan on her personal Instagram account. Some online users speculated that her choice of a black and red outfit with the visible number “2” could be seen as subtly endorsing a specific political party before Korea’s 21st presidential election on June 3rd.

Despite no official statement from Karina or SM Entertainment addressing these speculations, the issue sparked intense debates online with critics and supporters arguing over the intention behind her outfit. On May 28th KST, Lee Soo Jung, head of the People Power Party’s Suwon Jeong District Committee, also showed her support for Karina on Facebook, condemning secondary attacks on the singer. She shared a photo of Karina and added a clear statement with a hashtag, implying that criticizing Karina would have consequences.