K-netizens say they feel bad for aespa's Karina and Lee Jae Wook

Just five weeks after their relationship was publicly revealed, Karina and Lee Jae Wook have confirmed that they had broken up.

C-JeS Studio stated, "Lee Jae Wook decided to focus on his current filming projects," adding, "The two will continue to support each other as colleagues." SM Entertainment also confirmed that the two had ended their relationship and stated that Karina would focus on her career as well.

The pair attracted considerable public interest when rumors of their romance emerged on February 27, KST. Initially, they cautiously acknowledged their relationship, indicating they were still in the process of getting to know each other. However, after only five weeks of going public with their romance, they decided to part ways.

The decision to break up was made by the emotional toll inflicted by malicious comments and a sense of remorse towards their fans.

Korean netizens expressed sympathy as the two broke up mainly due to malicious comments. Korean netizens commented, "It's not easy to be a celebrity... I feel so bad," "People are so cruel," "I thought they looked good together," "They are people before they are celebrities. Did people have to rip them apart like this?" "People are too much. Slandering these two young people just for dating," "I feel so bad that they broke up," "I get why idols hide that they're dating," "I hope the haters are happy," and "Now people would slander Karina for being Lee Jae Wook's ex-girlfriend."