South Korean girl group aespa is facing an unexpected wave of backlash in Japan, after a past social media post by Chinese member NingNing resurfaced, triggering a petition with over 31,000 signatures demanding the group’s removal from the prestigious NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle).
The group was recently announced as a performer at the 76th edition of NHK’s iconic year-end music festival—marking a significant milestone for aespa’s growing presence in the Japanese market. However, tensions quickly escalated following renewed scrutiny of a post NingNing made in 2022.
In the now-controversial post, NingNing shared a photo of a lamp shaped like a mushroom cloud, with the caption: “I bought a cute lamp, what do you think?” The design closely resembles the imagery associated with the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. Japanese netizens condemned the post as lacking historical sensitivity, especially given the deep trauma the atomic bombings continue to represent.
Although the post sparked debate at the time, the controversy has been reignited amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions between China and Japan. Critics argue that allowing aespa to perform on Japan’s national stage could be interpreted as overlooking or minimizing this past insensitivity.
A petition launched on the “change” platform has garnered more than 85,000 signatures as of November 22, urging NHK to remove aespa from the lineup. The petition states that NingNing’s “casual” tone and use of an object symbolizing one of history’s greatest tragedies is deeply offensive to survivors and their descendants, and inappropriate for a show seen as a cultural institution.
“The atomic bombings took countless innocent lives. Treating such imagery as a cute item is unacceptable,” one petitioner wrote.
Facing mounting signatures, NHK’s media bureau chief Yamana Yoshio addressed the issue during a press conference on November 19, stating:
“Considering the situation between Japan and China, we still hope they can perform.”
NHK President Inaba Nobuo also expressed a desire to promote a message of peace, reaffirming that aespa’s scheduled performance on the red team remains unchanged.
Aespa, currently on tour in Japan with performances scheduled at Osaka Dome and Tokyo Dome, continues to build its presence in the country. If they complete their schedule, they would become one of the few international girl groups to perform at Tokyo Dome two years in a row.
Sources: ETtoday星光雲
You must be logged in to post a comment.