The controversy arose when it was noticed that Winter was notably absent from the Signature Art Card, a fan gift poster for aespa’s 1st film ‘aespa: MY First Page.’ Instead, her image was obscured in the corner, prompting disappointment among fans.
The distributor defended the decision, citing that the production process was guided by SM Entertainment, making it difficult to alter the image.
Further fueling the frustration was the discovery that Winter’s message on the Signature Art Card was copied from an old polaroid message, resulting in a mismatch with the current context.
Winter herself expressed confusion over the inclusion of her message, which read: “English English… so difficult..ᅲᅲ Sorry…?”
Additionally, fans noted instances where aespa’s official social media accounts failed to share or retweet posts related to Winter’s personal schedule, further exacerbating concerns about her treatment within the group.
Currently, fans are trending hashtags on X/Twitter demanding fair treatment for Winter from SM.
