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aespa's Ningning to be absent from Japanese year-end music show

Published: 30 Dec. 2025, 10:22 Updated: 30 Dec. 2025, 18:01

Singer Ningning of girl group aespa [NEWS1]

Ningning, a Chinese member of K-pop girl group aespa, will not appear in Japan’s year-end music show “Kōhaku Uta Gassen.”

"Ningning has been diagnosed with influenza after receiving treatment for ongoing health issues," Ningning's agency, SM Entertainment, announced on aespa’s official Japanese website on Monday. "She was advised to rest, and only three members — Karina, Giselle and Winter — will perform at this year’s show."

Ningning had come under fire earlier this year for a photo of lightning that she posted on social media in 2022, which some online users claimed resembled a mushroom cloud caused by an atomic bomb explosion.

Calls for her removal from “Kōhaku Uta Gassen" escalated in recent weeks amid heightened tensions between China and Japan, particularly following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remarks suggesting Japan would intervene in the event of a Taiwan Strait contingency.

“We acknowledge the criticism regarding Ningning’s past social media post,” SM Entertainment said. “Although the post had no specific intention or meaning, we take seriously the concerns it raised.” The company added that it would be “more cautious in the future.”

"Kōhaku Uta Gassen" is Japan’s signature year-end music program, aired annually on NHK on Dec. 31.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]