The popular K-pop girl group aespa has found itself at the center of escalating diplomatic tensions between China and Japan, as thousands of Japanese citizens demand the removal of Chinese member Ningning from NHK's prestigious year-end music program, Kohaku Uta Gassen. The controversy has highlighted how cultural exchanges can become casualties in international political disputes.
A petition launched on Change.org this Monday is calling for broadcaster NHK to cancel aespa's scheduled appearance on the nationally televised program. The online campaign has rapidly gained support from Japanese viewers, collecting more than 70,000 signatures within just two days of its launch. The petition specifically targets Ningning, citing concerns about her historical sensitivity and appropriateness for appearing on Japan's most important annual music broadcast.
The controversy stems from a 2022 social media post by Ningning, in which she shared a backstage photograph featuring a decorative light fixture. Critics argued that the lighting resembled a nuclear mushroom cloud, interpreting this as insensitive given Japan's history as the only nation to suffer atomic bombings during World War II. While the post initially drew criticism in Japan when it was first published, it did not lead to organized formal complaints at the time.
Petition supporters have expressed strong objections to Ningning's potential appearance on Kohaku Uta Gassen, with many citing respect for atomic bomb victims as their primary concern. "Kohaku is an important national broadcast," wrote one commenter, arguing that allowing Ningning to perform would be disrespectful to the victims of Hiroshima. Another petition supporter stated, "Someone who praised a mushroom cloud-shaped light should not appear on a program watched by the whole country."
The current petition comes during a period of particularly strained relations between China and Japan, following recent controversial statements by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The Prime Minister's remarks suggested possible Japanese military involvement in any potential conflict over Taiwan, which Beijing strongly condemned as interference in Chinese domestic affairs. In response to these diplomatic tensions, China has implemented tighter restrictions on Japanese travel, cultural content, and entertainment releases.
According to Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily, aespa has emerged as one of the most prominent cultural casualties of the ongoing diplomatic standoff between the two Asian powers. The newspaper noted that whether the four-member group, consisting of Ningning, Winter, Giselle, and Karina, ultimately performs on Kohaku could serve as an important indicator of the current diplomatic atmosphere between China and Japan and may signal the extent to which cultural exchanges will be affected by political tensions.
