The Boston-based company, a subsidiary of Nike, issued a formal apology on Friday after the Instagram post triggered intense online condemnation. While the brand confirmed the image was removed from its digital channels, it declined to clarify how the advertisement survived internal vetting or who authorized its publication. SM Entertainment Group, which represents Karina, has not commented on the incident.
Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt criticized the brand's reactive stance, arguing that an apology fails to address the systematic failure within the company’s marketing and leadership ranks. The controversy mirrors recent industry missteps, including Target’s decision last month to withdraw a Halloween costume over racial insensitivity concerns. Despite calls for boycotts and staff terminations, some social media users argued the visual association was unintentional, highlighting the ongoing tension between corporate oversight and public interpretation.
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