aespa’s NingNing faces backlash and applause for “savage” reply on Knowing Bros
aespa’s NingNing caught attention for her sharp response during a recent episode of variety show Knowing Bros. When asked about her ideal type, NingNing said she doesn’t care about appearance. The cast, skeptical, joked around—Super Junior’s Heechul pointed to fellow cast member Kim Young Chul (48) as having the best personality.
NingNing’s comeback was cool and brief. When Young Chul said, “Yeah,” she replied nonchalantly, “So.”
The clip quickly went viral, sparking mixed reactions. Many fans slammed Knowing Bros for the cast’s comments, calling them inappropriate and "weird," especially given the idols’ young age.
“oh god please cancel this show already i’m sick and tired of these old hags acting weird around young girls especially it pisses me off”
— ara (@meltssmore)“there’s a lot of weird stuff in kpop but this dress idols in school uniform n have old creeps flirt with them show has to be one of the worst”
— loossemble enthusiast (@aintnocrime)“i need this show banned”
— m (@ksgparks)
On the flip side, longtime fans defended the show. They stressed Knowing Bros is scripted and said NingNing was in on the joke. Many think newer girl groups get too much heat on the show because comments get taken out of context.
“let me get this straight. you’re mad that hc set up a joke for nn to have a main character moment? he handed her an easy dunk that was sure to air and have her look good, and she nailed it and gagged everyone like she was meant to. do you understand how celeb interviews?”
— st. arctic minkey (@arcticminkey)“antis didnt get the joke and write bad comments for heechul meanwhile aespa:”
— (@mintchocostan)“his fans collapsing and getting all personal, while favs take pictures with heechul and with Kibok. ”
— 𝐊𝐘𝐔𝐏𝐈𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑ᴷʸᵘ (@KYUPIITER)
aespa, known for good ties with Heechul, have never publicly criticized him since their debut.
This isn’t the first time Knowing Bros has faced criticism, especially over its treatment of new girl groups. The controversy shows no sign of cooling down as the episode circulates online.
