SEOUL, May 28 -- Karina, a member of the K-pop girl group aespa, faced backlash online after posting a photo during South Korea's election season that some interpreted as politically suggestive.

According to Korea JoongAng Daily, Karina uploaded an image of herself in a black jacket with red patterns and the number 2 visible on the side, along with a red rose emoji.

The photo, seemingly taken in Japan, went viral on South Korean online communities, where users nicknamed her "conservative Karina," "No. 2 voter Karina" and "patriotic Karina" - phrases often used to label conservative-leaning voters.

The post was later deleted, but online users continued to criticise the singer for her perceived lack of caution.

During election periods, ...