On MBC’s Radio Star (aired June 10), Congolese-born TV personality Jonathan sent viewers into laughter with a viral-worthy confession: he once thought a handwritten letter and album from aespa’s Karina were exclusively for him—only to find out she’d given them to everyone on set.
The episode, themed “Wassup! My Way,” featured Park Joon-hyung, Jonathan, Jung Il-young, and Dayoung.
During the show, Jang Do-yeon teased Jonathan, saying, “I heard things are a little ‘tense’ between you and Karina. Is it the Karina we all know?” Jonathan instantly shot back, “Are you talking about Jimin?” casually dropping Karina’s real name, Yoo Jimin, and cracking up the studio.
When Jang followed up with, “So you call her Jimin—are you two close?” Jonathan explained, “We’re the same age,” hinting at their friendly bond. He added with a laugh, “When friends ask, ‘Is Karina really pretty?’ I sometimes act like we’re super close and say, ‘Oh, are you talking about Jimin?’”
The two first connected while appearing together on KBS2’s Synchro U. Jonathan recalled Karina giving him an album and a handwritten letter at the time, saying, “She wrote, ‘Let’s keep fighting forward.’”
Remembering the moment, he said, “I even went to my manager like, ‘We’re here to work—are we allowed to do this?’” admitting he was seriously flustered and excited. “In between takes I kept thinking, ‘What do I do?’ But we’re professionals, so I told myself to focus on the job,” he joked.
Then came the twist: Jonathan had assumed the gift was a special one just for him—but it turned out Karina had prepared the same for every cast member. “When we wrapped, I realized she’d given them to everyone,” he said, recalling the awkward moment.
Still, Jonathan praised Karina’s thoughtfulness. “When the show ended, she came back from overseas schedules and wrote each person a letter, even preparing gifts tailored to everyone,” he shared.
Jonathan added that they later exchanged numbers, but he set his own rules for himself: “Don’t text first, don’t bring up Karina anywhere, and don’t act like we’re besties.” He laughed, “I probably said way too much today, so this might get a little awkward.”