Netizens are comparing the public and fans’ contrasting reactions to the dating news of aespa’s Karina and BLACKPINK’s Jisoo.
On March 8, a topic titled “Jisoo vs. Karina – Different responses to dating news” was published on the forum platform “Reddit”, and drew a lot of attention.
The topic mentioned the recent dating news of aespa’s Karina, which led to Karina receiving constant criticism to the point of having to write an apology letter, and compared it to the supportive reaction of fans when BLACKPINK’s Jisoo was revealed to be dating – and begs the question, “Any idea why the difference?”
In response, netizens actively discuss why the dating news of Karina and Jisoo got completely different reactions, and below are some popular opinions.
First, age & seniority are mentioned as crucial factors. In particular, Jisoo, who debuted way back in 2016, is at the age and seniority where dating can be considered “inappropriate”. Meanwhile, aespa is still at an early stage of career, and Karina is not yet of “proper dating age” for celebrities.
Second, Jisoo wasn’t the first member of her group to have a dating news, so fans’ behavior are more or less settled. Meanwhile, Karina was not only the first member of aespa to face dating rumors, but was also the 1st 4th gen female idol to have confirmed dating news, leading to fans lashing out more as they were not used to it.
The 3rd popular reason is fan service. In particular, Jisoo and BLACKPINK in general has a more “mysterious” vibe, wherein they do less fan service and uphold a more “secretive” image. Meanwhile, Karina is known for ample “fanservice”, leading to her having more “obsessive fans” that react harshly when it comes to dating.
Finally, it was mentioned that Jisoo was under YG – a company known for having a nonchalant attitude towards idols’ dating news, and as such as cultivated a fanbase more chill about personal life matters. Meanwhile, Karina is signed under SM – known for pandering to fans and thus generated a lot of a more “invested” fanbase in their idols’ personal life.
