aespa Faces Backlash for Festival Remarks: “Celebrity Syndrome” Accusations Stir Debate
A recent appearance by aespa at a university summer festival has sparked online debate after comments made during a talk segment were perceived as dismissive by some audience members.
Aespa’s University Appearance Sparks Controversy
The incident has quickly escalated across online communities, with accusations of the group showing signs of “celebrity syndrome,” a term used in Korea to describe celebrities who are seen as arrogant or out of touch.
According to a post on a university community board, during aespa‘s rest-time chat, a member asked the crowd to cheer more, saying:
“Ah, can you quiet down a bit?”
That comment allegedly caused an awkward moment as those around became visibly uncomfortable.
Following the event, several posts criticizing aespa‘s attitude went viral, including reactions like:
“They acted like we should be honored by their presence.”
“We were excited for aespa, but this left a bad taste.”
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Mixed Real-time Reactions
Some users on forums like Seoul Camp’s Free Board shared sentiments such as:
- “Honestly felt like we were being talked down to. Why act like that to college students?”
- “I used to like aespa from debut, but this changed my view a bit.”
- “The vibe was totally different from other groups. They didn’t seem that enthusiastic.”
On the flip side, other netizens pushed back against the criticism:
- “Maybe they were just tired or misunderstood. They’re human too.”
- “It’s unfair to judge them on one awkward comment, no one’s perfect on stage.”
There was even some comparison with other groups like STAYC, with several users praising STAYC for their positive fan interactions, adding fuel to the comparison discourse between girl groups.
Netizens’ Reactions
Comments on Pann:
- “‘If the reaction is good, we’ll come again~!’” That’s seriously the most common line at festivals, and yet people are only freaking out because it’s aespa. LOL. Someone just clearly doesn’t like aespa and is trying to stir something up using a random post. And now they’re even manipulating upvotes in the middle of the night? Classic aespa hate campaign tactics. LOL.
- I’ll attach the video link—go watch it yourself before talking. They said: “Even though the weather was so hot, your cheers gave us the energy to perform well” > “The next song is one you’ll definitely know” > “I’m curious how loud Chung-Ang students can get” > “If the cheers are loud, maybe we can come again next year.” That’s literally the same kind of hype talk every idol says at college festivals. Acting like it’s some “celebrity syndrome” moment just means you hate aespa for no reason. LOL.
- Seriously, how long are those stinky old men and bitter auntie fans gonna keep hating on aespa without knowing their place? LOL. aespa is a top-tier first-tier girl group, you are not their rivals. Please get a grip, seriously.
- I watched the whole video and it’s obvious someone’s trying to blow a tiny thing way out of proportion. LOL. It’s just a copy-paste job from the top-voted posts on that girl group anti-gallery.
- Wow, of course it’s them again—those girl group anti-gallery people. Literally every single girl group hate campaign seems to trace back to them. LOL. Honestly, those users are the reason their fandom is permanently ostracized from the idol community… Amazing.
As the debate rages on, fans remain divided—some expressing disappointment, others calling for more understanding. Only time will tell if this moment is a minor misstep or a deeper issue of perception that aespa and their agency will need to address head-on.
