From girl group aespa's Karina to Lee Jae of the Netflix animation Squid Game Season Demon Hunters, and Jung Ho-yeon of Squid Game Season, stars showcasing Korea's charm captivated the Met Gala.
On April 4 (local time), the 2026 Met Gala (The Costume Institute Benefit, commonly known as the Met Gala) was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, USA. In attendance were all members of the girl group Blackpink as well as aespa's Karina and Ningning, Lee Jae and Audrey Nuna of Squid Game Season Demon Hunters, actors Jung Ho-yeon and Ahn Hyo Seop, and many other Korean-American stars who lit up the event.
Among them, the figure who drew the most intense attention was aespa's Karina. Karina attended wearing an outfit from the Italian luxury brand for which she serves as a global ambassador.
She especially highlighted eastern charm with a robe and dress that reinterpreted hanbok and hair ornaments. Fans' reactions were also intense. Reactions to Karina's Met Gala attendance even included comments such as "it is a princess's coronation."
Lee Jae, who performed as the vocalist for Huntrix in the Netflix animated film K-pop Demon Hunters (commonly known as Kedehun), also left a strong impression with a lavish hairstyle inspired by Korean gache and hairpins. A silver dress with ornate crystal decorations that cinched the body like a corset revealed Lee Jae's statuesque figure.
Model-turned-actress Jung Ho-yeon wore a black leather dress that wrapped her entire body, showing off a lean figure. Decorations that richly emphasized the hip line added an intense atmosphere to Jung Ho-yeon's eastern features.
In addition to Lee Jae, many Korean-American stars who appeared in Kedehun attended, including actor Ahn Hyo Seop, who voiced the male lead Jin-woo. Ahn Hyo Seop appeared wearing a jacket with diagonal stripe patterns and knot decorations used like buttons, and a red scarf tied over a silk blouse, drawing attention with his distinctive tall stature.
Korean-American singer-songwriter Audrey Nuna, who performed as another Huntrix vocalist in Kedehun, presented an outfit with striking black-and-white painted patterns as if it were an intaglio. A wide-brimmed hat, a structured coat-style dress, black lips and long pulled-out eyeliner revealed Audrey Nuna's charisma.
Ningning, an aespa member like Karina, was also invited to this Met Gala, and her head-to-toe black outfit drew attention. Ningning's gesture of showing long black nails affixed to a dramatic ruffle dress displayed confidence. <
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