Aespa’s Karina “Kissed” by a Stranger in Hongdae: Photos Go Viral

A photo of an unmistakable kiss mark on a cardboard cutout of aespa’s Karina has gone viral, sparking playful reactions and curiosity among fans.

The life-sized cardboard Karina, located in Seoul’s lively “Hongdae” neighborhood known for its nightlife, is part of the idol’s endorsement of the beer brand KRUSH.

When the original poster (OP) noticed a lipstick stain on Karina’s left cheek, they snapped pictures and humorously demanded the “culprit” step forward.

“Whoever kissed Jimin’s cheek in Hongdae, please turn yourself in.”
— @ae_meung/X

The tweet quickly went viral as aespa fans shared both playful envy at the “lucky stranger” and fascination at how “natural” the kiss mark appeared.

Fan Reactions

• “Those are some nice lips.”
• “I’ll let it pass one time if it was done wearing YSL lipstick…”
• “I was at Hongdae not too long ago and saw this, too. LOL. I thought the kiss mark was printed on because it looked so natural. Haha.”
• “Who did this! LOL. I can SMELL the alcohol!”
• “NGL, that kiss mark looks quite good, haha. It’s kind of hard to leave a perfect stain like that. IYKYK, haha.”
• “WHICH ONE OF YOU KISSED MY GIRL?! Haha.”
• “Oh, WTF. Haha.”
• “Which b*tch did it!”
• “I get the urge, though. I would not have been able to hold back a smooch.”

This incident is not the first time a K-Pop idol standee has captured the heart of a fan. Similar occurrences have been noted, such as the time BTS’s J-Hope attended an ARMY’s wedding in paper form.