After opening an account on the Chinese SNS platform Weibo, aespa Ningning is set to appear on a Chinese entertainment program.
On June 14th, aespa’s official Twitter account confirmed Ningning’s participation in the Chinese TV show “The Next Stage 2023”. The female idol is expected to actively participate as a mentor on the program.
As a result, some fans are speculating that Ningning is preparing for full-fledged activities in China. They also cited that several Chinese artists under SM Entertainment have opened fan pages or Weibo accounts in China, either immediately after or before terminating their contracts, and have focused solely on activities in China after leaving the group.
However, there are also opinions suggesting that Ningning is appearing on the show to communicate with fans in China.
Meanwhile, Ningning opened an account on Weibo, a popular SNS platform in China, on June 11th. She also greeted Chinese fans through a video.
In the past, Ningning received both support and criticism for supporting the Chinese short track team. In particular, in 2022, Ningning posted a message on the private messaging platform “DearU Bubble,” saying, “I’m so happy (that China) got (their) first gold tonight.”
The post was made in response to the Chinese national team winning the 2000m mixed relay segment in short track. However, this result is said to be thanks to biased judging, causing ire in Korea.
On the other hand, Ningning, who holds Chinese citizenship, debuted as a member of SM girl group aespa in 2020.
Source: Insight
