On May 28 KST, aespa dazzled fans by snagging three prestigious awards at the 2025 Asia Star Entertainer Awards, held at the Yokohama K-Arena in Japan. The girl group was recognized with accolades such as ‘Song of the Year’ and ‘Artist of the Year,’ solidifying their standing in the competitive K-pop landscape.
During the ceremony, aespa first took to the stage to accept the The Platinum (Bonsang) award, sharing the spotlight with notable acts like ENHYPEN, IVE, NiziU, and NCT WISH. However, a light-hearted moment occurred during their acceptance speech: group member Karina mistakenly referred to aespa as “aespo,” leading to an eruption of laughter from both the group and the audience. Her genuine amusement made it difficult for her to continue, prompting her to pass the mic to Winter.
Winter, unable to contain her giggles, turned away from the microphone during her attempt to speak, eventually passing it to Ningning with a playful squeal of, “I can’t do this!” Ningning managed to wrap up the speech succinctly, expressing gratitude with a simple, “Thank you,” in Japanese, which was met with applause from the crowd.
While many fans found the group’s humorous antics endearing, a segment of netizens expressed disappointment at what they perceived as a lack of professionalism. This criticism was further fueled by a recent controversy surrounding Karina’s social media post, where she wore a red jacket featuring the number ‘2’—a symbol that some interpreted as a nod to the conservative People Power Party in South Korea.
“Wow honestly it’s not that funny..”
“They’re acting like the world revolves around them and the rest of the people are just npcs..”
“This is what happens when big companies just buy out awards for their artists. They start to become ungrateful.”
“This is their workplace and they are acting extremely unprofessional.”
“That kind of attitude makes you question if they even put in the kind of effort that would make them truly deserving of so many awards.”
“That is an award given to them by their fans. Why are they acting like a bunch of immature school girls at a professional event?”
“The laughing definitely does not help when the fact is, she was the center of a major controversy just yesterday.”
“People who act unprofessional and don’t know when it’s the right or wrong time for jokes really turn me off.”
“Sorry if I’m being too stern but what a poor attitude.”
Despite the mixed reactions, aespa’s impressive achievement at the 2025 Asia Entertainer Awards underscores their influence and popularity in the industry. Fans continue to rally around the group, excited for what lies ahead in their careers.
