Converse has pulled an advertisement featuring aespa member Karina and issued a public apology after the image drew accusations of evoking Ku Klux Klan and lynching imagery, in a controversy that escalated from social media criticism to a statement from a sitting member of Congress.
The Instagram ad, part of Converse's campaign for the Chuck 70 X and Run Star Crush sneakers, showed Karina wearing a Converse T-shirt, a calf-length white skirt and black Converse shoes, posing as a star-shaped light — a nod to the brand's logo — appeared on the floor and wall around her. In a still image from the campaign, Karina is shown holding black high-top shoes beneath the star-shaped spotlight while wearing the long white skirt.
Karina of K-Pop group Aespa was featured in a new Converse All-Stars ad for Asian markets. The American internet decided it was racist. The rest of the world said "stop looking at everything through racism colored glasses," "the whole world doesn't revolve around you, sheesh." pic.twitter.com/pr3Y5G9j0M
— Libby Emmons (@libbyemmons) September 19, 2026
