The charm of Karina, one of the “Jang-Ka-Seol” trio (IVE’s Jang Wonyoung + aespa’s Karina + NMIXX’s Sullyoon), lies in her “perfection”. Her AI-like appearance that surpasses actual AI, her precise dance moves, solid vocal skills, and easygoing personality are the reasons why adjectives like “trendsetter” and “perfect” often precede her name in news headlines.
When aespa, Karina’s group, debuted, their core concept revolved around AI and the virtual world. Each member has an avatar called “ae”, their other self, and meeting this “ae” leads to experiencing a new world. What made this complex worldview immediately comprehensible was Karina’s appearance. She boasted looks that seemed even more AI-like than her own “ae” avatar. This is where the now-popular meme “Karina is a goddess” originated.
It’s not just about her face being pretty. She demonstrates exceptional abilities in various areas including vocals, rap, and dance. As of October 20th, “Up”, Karina’s solo song, is dominating the top spot on the Melon chart. Karina wrote the lyrics entirely by herself, and there was little prior promotion. She only uploaded one “Up” challenge video with dancers. “Up”, which was initially an unreleased track, was officially released as a digital single due to fan demand. This was only possible because it was Karina.
A music industry insider commented, “Karina seems like a girl group member sent from heaven. She’s flawless in both looks and skills, so I imagine her agency must feel very secure.” They added, “It’s extremely difficult to find and develop a trainee as perfect an all-rounder as Karina. It requires tremendous luck.”
Karina has a knack for dancing, having been part of her school’s dance club during her middle and high school years. She’s a member who’s enjoyable to watch as she interprets choreographers’ intentions well and has excellent control over the intensity of her movements. During her trainee days, she appeared as a dancer in Taemin’s “Want” music show performance, taking on a solo dance part. She also performed a pair dance with EXO’s Kai at Hyundai Motor’s virtual showcase.
Karina, who is also aespa’s leader, is known for taking good care of her members. She’s often seen looking after her members during interviews and making sure those behind her have a chance to come forward. A video of her trying to help a reporter who almost fell in a crowded airport, along with fans, members, and staff, went viral. With her beauty and kind personality, it’s no wonder she has fans of all ages and genders. The advertising industry, which needs to capture viewers’ hearts in a short time, has also been flooding her with offers.
Last November, Lotte Chilsung introduced their “4th generation beer” Kloud Crush with Karina as the face of the campaign. The Karina effect was remarkable. Lotte Chilsung reported that their beer sales in the third quarter increased by 6.3% year-on-year to 21.6 billion won. Industry insiders attributed Lotte Chilsung’s above-average growth in beer sales to the “Crush” new product effect, with Karina’s influence as the advertising model being a significant factor. Likewise, another brand Karina models for, also reaped substantial advertising benefits. When Karina posted a photo wearing Converse products on her SNS, those specific items quickly sold out on the official website.
aespa is set to release their fifth mini-album “We Fresh” on October 21st, venturing into the techno genre they haven’t explored before. As the lyrics of “Up” go, “A height that no one has ever seen,” the Karina syndrome is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
Source: Daum
