aespa appeared on the 76th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen, which aired on December 31, 2025. Shortly after the broadcast, a netizen posted on social media claiming that the group’s stage time was intentionally linked to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The post stated that the Hiroshima atomic bomb was dropped at around 8:15 a.m., with the flash and explosion occurring at approximately 8:15:43, and alleged that aespa was performing during that exact time slot when rewatching the Kohaku broadcast.
The claim spread rapidly across Japanese social media. Some users argued that the 8:15 timing was deliberately chosen to evoke August 15, Japan’s defeat day in World War II (also Korea’s Liberation Day), suggesting hidden intentions behind aespa’s appearance.
Certain Japanese netizens insisted that aespa’s stage time could not have been a coincidence. Others went further, raising accusations of insulting Japan and speculating about alleged connections between aespa’s agency and Chinese capital. Some even claimed that words found in aespa’s song lyrics such as “big flash,” “drop,” and “blow” were symbolic references to the atomic bombing.
As the conspiracy theory escalated, NHK firmly denied the allegations, stating that the claims circulating on social media were “completely groundless misinformation” and emphasizing that there was no such intent whatsoever behind the scheduling.
The controversy also resurfaced past criticism involving member Ningning, who faced backlash from Japanese fans in 2022 after posting a photo of a desk lamp that some claimed resembled an atomic bomb mushroom cloud. Amid worsening China–Japan tensions, a petition had even emerged opposing Ningning’s appearance on Kohaku.
On the day of the broadcast, Ningning was confirmed to have influenza. Her agency explained, “Ningning was diagnosed with the flu and advised by doctors to get sufficient rest. We informed NHK, and it was decided that only Karina, Giselle, and Winter would appear on this year’s Kohaku Uta Gassen.”
Regarding Ningning’s past post, the agency previously stated, “There was no specific purpose or intention, but it caused concern. We will be more careful going forward.”
Despite the broadcaster’s clarification, the incident highlights how quickly unfounded theories can spiral online turning a routine year-end performance into an unexpected international controversy.
Sources: Daum
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