The reason why aespa's Karina threw the first pitch for the Busan Lotte Giants has been revealed.

On June 10, sports journalists discussed this topic in a video on the YouTube channel 'Money Ball TV.' During the conversation, Karina's name came up.

Karina received immense attention for throwing the first pitch on June 9 during the third game of the '2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League' between the Busan Lotte Giants and Incheon SSG Landers at Busan Sajik Stadium.

However, there was curiosity about why Karina, who is originally from Suwon, threw her first pitch for the Busan Lotte Giants instead of the Suwon KT Wiz from her hometown.

Sports Kyunghyang journalist Kim Ha Jin explained, "I know the behind-the-scenes of the casting. Typically, celebrities don't like to go to provincial areas for first pitches because it takes up half their day and doesn't pay well. However, when Karina signed an advertisement contract for the beer brand 'Crush' with Lotte Liquor, throwing the first pitch was included on the contract as an option."

He added, "Since Karina is 'the daughter of Suwon,' KT Wiz had approached her, and SM (Karina's agency) was aware of it. But as soon as the contract with Lotte was finalized, SM apologized to KT Wiz, saying they had no choice (but to turn them down) due to the contract."

Kim further mentioned, "The amount paid for the 'Crush' advertisement was enormous. That's why Karina had to go down to Busan to throw the first pitch."

When Jung Se Young from The Munhwa Ilbo asked if the amount was in the Ten billion KRW (~7.2 million KRW) range, Kim replied, "Just a bit slightly less than that."

On June 9, Karina appeared on the mound in a sky-blue uniform. She expressed her feelings, saying, "It's an honor to throw the first pitch for the first time in my life."

Karina said, "I will throw the ball with all my heart in support of the Lotte Giants. Please continue to love our group, Aespa."

Karina successfully threw a strike, receiving cheers from the crowd.

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