Aespa member Ningning will not perform at NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen in Japan on December 31 after being diagnosed with the flu, SM Entertainment announced Monday.
Doctors advised the Chinese singer to rest and recover from the flu, so much so that they decided to exclude her from the show. The other three aespa members, Karina, Giselle and Winter, will appear again in the end-of-year broadcast. SM Entertainment he said the agency consulted with NHK before confirming that only these three members would participate.
NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen is Japan’s most-watched music program, broadcast every year on New Year’s Eve, December 31st. The show features top artists and is considered a major performance opportunity for famous musicians. Aespa’s appearance was highly anticipated, but Ningning’s health situation led to a change of plans.
Ningning had already experienced health problems recently. Earlier this month, she I missed the red carpet event at South Korea’s Melon Music Awards due to cold symptoms, although she later performed on the main stage.
The timing of the announcement comes alongside the re-emergence of controversy surrounding a social media post shared by Ningning in 2022. The post featured a decorative lamp that some Japanese netizens said resembled a decorative lamp. mushroom cloud produced by an atomic bomb. Criticism has intensified in recent weeks amid rising tensions between China and Japan, particularly following remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Over 70,000 people had signed an online petition calling for Ningning’s removal from the show, citing concerns about the 2022 post. In response to the renewed attention on the photo, SM Entertainment released a statement clarifying that the post had no specific purpose or intent to disrespect anyone. The agency said it will be more cautious about content shared by its artists in the future.
NHK had previously confirmed that the group would behave as expected after investigating the matter and determining that Ningning did not intend to make any disrespectful statements. However, Ningning’s health diagnosis has now changed these plans
SM Entertainment thanked fans and NHK for their understanding regarding the sudden change. The agency said the decision prioritizes the singer’s health and recovery needs.
