Aespa’s Karina Clears The Air About The Fake Relatives Who Congratulated Her Debut

Aespa member Karina recently cleared the air about the viral news from 2020 regarding her “family members.”

| @aespa.official/Instagram

On May 20, aespa appeared on the YouTube show The K-Star Next Door, hosted by TV personality Jonathan Yiombi.

Jonathan and Aespa members | Diggle

Jonathan addressed each member’s “controversies,” such as Winter‘s picture with a missing nail and Giselle‘s Konglish (Korean and English) language.

| Diggle Winter and her missing nail | SM Entertainment

Jonathan then addressed Karina’s “controversy” by asking about her alleged viral marketing that occurred before she debuted. Around the time aespa debuted with “Black Mamba” in 2020, a netizen named Yoo Young Chan posted on an online community stating that Karina was his niece.

| Gangneung Yucci/Daum Cafe

SM Entertainment’s girl group, aespa.
They’re filming commercials for ____ these days, too.
Aespa’s leader Karina (Yoo Jimin) is my niece. The one wearing the black clothes.

— Yoo Young Chan

| Diggle

Also, another person claiming to be Karina’s relative wrote a post titled “Niece’s Debut” in an online community.

Today, she debuts as an idol through Magic Bank (Music Bank). AESPA. Stage name: Karina.

— Karina’s “relative”

In response, Karina laughed and expressed her humiliation.

| Diggle

Then she clarified that she does not know who these alleged relatives are.

I was surprised, too. My dad told me about it. I don’t know who that is. He even knows my dad’s name.

— Karina

When Jonathan asked if she really didn’t know any relative named Yoo Young Chan, Karina joked, “No, I’d like to meet him.”

Your browser does not support video.| Diggle

This isn’t the first time someone claimed to be Karina’s relative. During aespa’s debut two years ago, someone posted on a Marine Corps Twitter account that one of the member’s daughters was debuting as an idol.

Good news. ____’s daughter is finally debuting as a girl group. We’re proud of her enduring and overcoming all the hard work as a trainee.

It was correct that Yoo Jimin is in aespa… she will be debuting as Karina.

— A netizen

This caused netizens to wonder if Karina’s father used to be in the Marine Corps.

| @katarinabluu/Instagram

It’s clear that Karina was supported by fans even before she debuted—even if they were by people claiming to be related to her!