Petition To Ban aespa Nears 90,000 Signatures, SM Entertainment’s Response Falls Flat

The petition went viral.

Recently, it was reported that a petition to ban aespa from performing on Japan’s Kohaku, an end-of-year program, had gained traction online.

aespa | BILLBOARD

The petition was created due to Ningning purchasing an atomic bomb model light that mirrored a moment when many Hiroshima and Nagasaki citizens were killed. She displayed it in her room and posted, “I bought a cute light, what do you think?,” earning criticism from Japanese netizens who felt it trivialized the bombings.

aespa’s Ningning Triggers Mixed Reactions With Controversial Object In Her Room

After the petition was created, it quickly gained thousands of signatures, prompting a response from SM Entertainment via NHK.

It was reported that NHK asked SM Entertainment, and the company conveyed that no offense was meant.

They acknowledged awareness of the matter and conveyed that, according to the agency, the member had no intention of disregarding or mocking the victims of the atomic bombings.

— NHK

This response does not seem to have appeased those wishing aespa to not perform, as the Change.com petition currently has 86,000 signatures.

Currently, aespa are still scheduled to perform at the event.