CCTV footage of man stealing standee of Aespa's Karina in Malaysia tickles netizens

The staff got Whiplash for sure.

On May 23, fashion label MLB Malaysia released a statement and CCTV footage of a man stealing a standee of their brand ambassador, Karina from the K-pop girl group Aespa.

In the footage, a man clad in a black sweater can be seen eyeing the cardboard cutout. He shakes it, presumably to test if it is stuck to the ground, before putting up his hood and running away with it. The clip ends with the panicked staff chasing after him.

MLB Malaysia's statement, posted on Instagram, reads: "While we truly appreciate the excitement around our campaign and Karina herself, we kindly remind everyone that all in-store displays are the property of MLB and are meant for shared enjoyment. We're reviewing the matter internally and we thank you for your understanding and continued support."

In the comments section of their post, which has garnered over 17,000 likes, they cheekily added that fans can "steal Karina's look", not her standee.

TGV Cinemas commented with a gif of Karina doing punching motions, to which MLB Malaysia replied: "Take care of your movie standees, cinema buddy!"

Netizens expressed their mirth, with one asking what we're all wondering: Did the staff catch the culprit?

"We did not catch him because we couldn't leave our store unattended. But we can't blame bro for trying. We are not mad, we are amused," said the brand, adding a laughing emoji.

One netizen remarked the man was "so real for that" to which MLB Malaysia replied: "He is real. Real fast!"

"I'm not saying I approve, but I understand," another remarked.

The brand reassured that they have a spare standee, adding: "No kidnapping her again ya."

Fans took to X to laugh over the heist, and one brought up another viral incident that happened in South Korea last year.

A fan posted a photo of a Karina standee in a Hongdae store that had a lip stain on her cheek.

"The person who kissed Karina on the cheek, please come out now," said the fan, whose post had gained over 13,000 likes.

Safe to say, the staff at the MLB Singapore outlets should keep their eyes open.

syarifahsn@asiaone.com

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