aespa’s leader Karina recently showed her appreciation for the staff at SM Entertainment with a thoughtful winter gift.
Earlier this month, the 25-year-old K-pop idol personally prepared winter outerwear and handwritten letters for around 70 people. This included set crews, agency officials, hair and makeup artists, stylists, security personnel, and the performance management team.
The gift, the ‘Curve Long Padding’ from premium street casual brand MLB, which Karina represents as an ambassador, is valued at 379,000 won (around $260) per item. The gesture was meant to help the staff stay warm and comfortable during the cold wave.
Since being appointed as an MLB ambassador in May last year, Karina has actively promoted the brand through campaigns, pictorials, special collaborations like the ‘Karina Edition.’
The aespa leader has also been recognized for other acts of kindness. In 2025, she reportedly donated 100 million won to support firefighters and victims of South Korea’s worst wildfires, split evenly between both causes. Following a busy promotional period, Karina reportedly spent the first days of her long-awaited vacation volunteering at an orphanage run by a Catholic foundation.
She volunteered at Saengmyeong-ui Jip, a shelter for single mothers and infants. Karina spent time with the children, helped feed them, and shared warm moments with the families.
The coming months will see the global star return to a packed schedule. She is at the heart of aespa’s ongoing “SYNK: aeXIS LINE,” one of the group’s most extensive concert tours to date.
The tour, which began in August 2025, is scheduled to run until April 26, 2026, concluding at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.
Additionally, Karina is set to appear with aespa at SMTOWN LIVE 2025-26 in Fukuoka, Japan, on January 31 and February 1, 2026.
