“This is so disturbing”- Internet divided over aespa’s Ningning’s alleged joke about her current weight status on livestream
Ningning of aespa recently drew mixed reactions online following a casual livestream interaction with fans on March 1, 2026. During the broadcast, a fan asked the idol about her weight.
Ningning initially invited fans to guess and then said she weighed 55 kg, laughing out. Shortly after, voices believed to be staff members were heard in the background appearing to disagree, saying the number was not accurate and that her actual weight surprised them. Ningning then questioned whether the exact number was important.
The staff began guessing her weight to be 40 kg, and Ningning corrected them by saying it was 41 kg. Following the exchange, the singer addressed viewers, stating that being thin was not important but staying healthy mattered more. She encouraged fans to maintain a healthy diet.
However, soon after the live clips of the moment where Ningning laughed while mentioning 55 kg and then gave a much lower number began circulating widely on social media. The edit drew criticism from some netizens, who accused the idol of appearing to mock the 55 kg figure.
Critics argued that the weight was normal for an adult woman of her age and said her reaction felt dismissive or insensitive.One viral comment read,
“This is so disturbing.”
As the clip continued to circulate, the incident has sparked further criticism from netizens.
At the same time, many fans came to Ningning’s defense. Supporters said the moment was taken out of context, arguing that the exchange was a playful banter between the singer and staff and was not intended to shame any body type.
Some also pointed out that Ningning had previously faced online body-shaming accusations earlier in her career, suggesting her tone may have reflected past experiences rather than an intent to mock others.
aespa to drop track Keychain with Anderson .Paak as part of K-Pops! soundtrack Friday
Meanwhile, on February 27, 2026 aespa released the collaborative single Keychain in partnership with Korean American artist Anderson .Paak. Keychain would be included in the official soundtrack for the film K-Pops!, which was produced, directed by, and starred Anderson .Paak.
The family comedy portrayed the experiences, culture, and identity of the Korean American community in the United States. Its story followed a Los Angeles musician who traveled to Korea to revive his career and discovered that his estranged son had become a K-pop superstar. The film was scheduled for theatrical release in North America on the same day.
Musically, Keychain blended hip-hop, R&B, and funk elements associated with Anderson .Paak’s music style with aespa’s signature sound as per Billboard. Production was handled by Dem Jointz, known for aespa’s track Supernova other than many K-pop tracks such as Cherry Bomb by NCT, Obsession by EXO and Don’t Call Me by SHINee. The collaboration was first teased via social media on February 23, when the artists shared cover art showing a purple fuzzy bag with a miniature Anderson .Paak keychain alongside the aespa logo charm.
Separately, aespa is continuing its world tour Synk: aeXis Line. The group is scheduled to perform in Macao on March 7–8 before the nine-city tour moves to Jakarta in April, followed by two-night concert stops in Osaka and Tokyo.
Edited by Adrija Chakraborty