Winter Gets Silent Treatment at SBS Gayo Daejeon Red Carpet Following Jungkook Dating Rumors
The aespa member faced an awkward moment when fans didn't respond to her Christmas greeting at the year-end festival.
Winter from aespa encountered an uncomfortable situation at the 2025 SBS Gayo Daejeon red carpet on December 25. When she greeted fans with "Merry Christmas," the crowd remained silent-a stark contrast to the loud cheers her groupmates received moments later.
The incident happened at Inspire Arena in Incheon during the annual Christmas music festival. Each aespa member took turns greeting the audience in different languages. Winter went first, speaking in English, but was met with silence. When Ningning greeted fans in Chinese and Giselle followed, both received enthusiastic applause.
Linking the Silence to Dating Controversy
Observers quickly connected the cold reception to ongoing speculation about Winter's relationship with BTS member Jungkook. The dating rumors began on December 4 when fans noticed both idols have tattoos featuring three dog faces on their arms.
The speculation gained momentum after netizens pointed to other supposed evidence: similar rings and accessories, matching nail designs, and claims that Jungkook attended an aespa concert in March while on military leave. Winter was also heard calling him by his legal name, Jeon Jungkook, during a livestream.
Protest Trucks and Fan Backlash
The controversy escalated dramatically between December 9-10 when protest trucks appeared outside both HYBE and SM Entertainment headquarters in Seoul. LED displays on the trucks showed messages demanding Jungkook "remove the couple tattoo or step back from BTS activities" and accused him of "deceiving fans."
Winter also became a target of malicious online content, including defamatory posts, sexual harassment, and deepfake material spread across Korean online communities and social media platforms.
Winter's Response
At recent events, Winter has been covering the tattoo in question. She wore makeup to conceal it at the SBS Gayo Daejeon, used a long glove on that arm during the December 19 KBS Song Festival, and positioned herself to hide the area in photos from the December 21 Melon Music Awards.
What the Agencies Said
Neither HYBE nor SM Entertainment has confirmed or denied the dating rumors. This silence marks a departure from past behavior-SM Entertainment quickly denied Winter's dating rumors with ENHYPEN's Jungwon in 2024, calling them "groundless" and threatening legal action. HYBE similarly denied Jungkook's 2021 dating rumors with actress Lee Yoo Bi within days.
However, SM Entertainment issued a statement on December 10 announcing legal action against those posting malicious content about Winter. The agency said it identified numerous defamatory posts involving "sexual harassment, defamation, personal attacks, insults, invasion of privacy, and deepfake content" on platforms including DC Inside, Instagram, X, and YouTube. SM stated it will pursue both criminal and civil action.
Fan Reactions Split
The incident at SBS Gayo Daejeon sparked debate online. Many criticized the treatment Winter received, calling it "psychological bullying" over unconfirmed rumors. Critics pointed out the gender disparity in how male and female idols are treated during dating controversies, noting that Winter faces harsher backlash than Jungkook.
Others defended the fans' reaction, with some suggesting the audience composition-particularly Chinese fans responding warmly to Ningning-explained the difference. But this theory didn't fully account for why Giselle also received strong applause.
aespa continues their SYNK: aeXIS Line tour, which runs through April 26, 2026, concluding at Tokyo Dome. The group performed at the SBS Gayo Daejeon alongside major acts including Stray Kids, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, ENHYPEN, IVE, and LE SSERAFIM.
