Do we like them?

Do we like Karina?

Our score: 6 out of 10. Nothing harmful found and some real giving, but we could only read search listings, so the picture is thinner than we'd like.

Her biggest rough patch was political. In May 2025, during South Korea's presidential election season, an Instagram post of hers drew heavy criticism and was deleted, according to Korean outlet Tenasia. Reports at the time said she lost a big chunk of followers, and her agency SM Entertainment apologised.

A few weeks later, an outfit she wore was read by some as politically charged, and her agency asked people not to read specific intentions into it. In July 2025 she spoke about the row, according to The Korea Times. Where you land depends on whether you read it as carelessness or a message, and we couldn't open the full article to say more.

On the harm check, nothing turned up from her about LGBTQ+ people, women, migrants, vaccines or the climate. That is a gap in what we could read, not a clean bill of health, so treat it as a lean rather than a lock.

The recent noise is mostly tabloid-flavoured: in June 2026 a Korean outlet reported she addressed a frown in airport photos by blaming allergies. That's the whole story, and not a scandal.

On the good side, reports say she donated 100 million won to help wildfire victims and firefighters, and that she volunteered with children in Vietnam during time off. Reports also describe her giving staff new year gifts. We couldn't open those pages, so take the details as reported rather than confirmed.