aespa’s Winter Faces Harassment in China Amid False Dating Rumors with ENHYPEN’s Jungwon
On December 14, Winter and her fellow aespa member, Karina, traveled to Shanghai, China from Gimpo International Airport amidst earlier uncertainty regarding Winter’s health. Despite her condition, she joined the trip to participate in aespa’s scheduled fansign event.
However, upon their arrival in Shanghai, the atmosphere turned hostile. Videos circulating online show a crowd of people gathered at Winter’s hotel, shouting offensive remarks in multiple languages, including Korean, Mandarin, and English. These individuals allegedly followed aespa’s vehicle to the hotel parking lot, raising concerns about security breaches and the safety of the group.
The abuse is believed to stem from recent viral dating rumors involving Winter and ENHYPEN’s Jungwon. Although BeLift Lab and SM Entertainment quickly denied the rumors, they have fueled unwarranted backlash from anti-fans.
Fans have strongly condemned the behavior captured in the videos, describing it as stalking and harassment. Many have also pointed out that this is not the first time aespa members have faced such incidents during overseas schedules.
Fans are questioning how private information, such as the group’s hotel details, was leaked and are demanding that SM Entertainment take stronger steps to protect its artists.
Concerns have also extended to the upcoming fansign event, which will take place in an open mall. Given the expected large crowd, fans fear for aespa’s safety during the public appearance, “Their fansign being in an open mall tomorrow as well is so concerning because it might happen tenfold and their safety might be at risk. The wrong people might show up, I really hope Winter is doing okay,” and “I can’t imagine how the girls might be feeling now, these people have no shame. I hope the fansign goes smoothly and they’re back home as soon as possible. Winter, you deserve so much better.”
