aespa’s Alleged Unequal Treatment Among Members Sparks Debate

The photograph displays a row of item boxes where fans had the opportunity to leave gifts. The boxes, starting from the left, were designated for Giselle, NingNing, Winter, and Karina, respectively.

Notably, the boxes for Winter and Karina were of greater size in comparison to Giselle and NingNing’s, leading to discussions on the internet.

Giselle, NingNing, Winter, and Karina’s boxes

It was suggested by certain netizens that the reason for Winter and Karina’s larger boxes could be attributed to the need for bigger containers after receiving a considerable amount of gifts.

Some contended that variances in popularity among members are normal, and that the group’s close-knit relationships make these differences insignificant. They stressed that despite the discrepancies in popularity, all members of aespa have a significant fan base.

The following are some of the perspectives shared by internet users:

– Why are people viewing this as discrimination when the likely reason for needing a bigger box is because they received a large number of gifts?

I doubt they initially used varying box sizes. It is probable that they switched to bigger ones for Karina and Winter due to an increased number of items. This would make sense if the original boxes were too small to contain everything.

The issue of popularity differences in K-pop has been a longstanding one that is not easily resolved. As a fan of NingNing, I am not bothered by the unequal treatment she receives. In fact, I have noticed that aespa’s treatment of their members has improved over time, and even fans of the less popular members have grown to accept this dynamic. The group’s fandom is also large enough to provide strong support for all members, and their relationships appear to be healthy.

Despite winter being a more popular season, the box size could also be due to receiving bulkier items, such as the blanket on top. Additionally, all members of aespa are highly adored.

It appears that they did not initially have different box sizes, but instead adjusted them according to the gifts they received. Posts like this only stir up unnecessary drama for aespa. Even the members who may be considered less popular still have a significant number of fans.