Over 70,000 Sign 'NO Aespa, Don't Come to Japan!' Petition: What Happened?

[Financial News] The deepening tensions between China and Japan, following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks about possible intervention in a Taiwan contingency, are now spilling over into the entertainment industry.

In China, a Japanese boy group’s fan meeting was abruptly canceled, while in Japan, a petition has emerged calling for the cancellation of an appearance by Aespa, a K-pop girl group with a Chinese member.
According to Chinese-language media such as Sing Tao Daily and China News Service, QQ Music announced on its social media account on the 17th that the Guangzhou fan party (fan meeting) for Japanese boy group JO1, scheduled for the 28th, had been canceled.
JO1 is an 11-member boy group that debuted in 2020 through 'Produce 101 Japan' Season 1, and is managed by LAPONE Entertainment, a joint venture established by CJ ENM and Yoshimoto Kogyo.
In Japan, the controversy has also affected Aespa, a Korean girl group that includes Chinese member Ningning.
After news broke that Aespa would appear on the year-end special program 'NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen' on Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), a petition was posted on Change.org on the 17th calling for Ningning, the Chinese member of Aespa, to be barred from participating.
In 2022, Ningning faced criticism in Japan after she posted a photo on her social media that featured lighting reminiscent of an atomic bomb 'mushroom cloud.'
The petition to cancel Aespa’s appearance on NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen garnered 50,000 signatures in just one day, and that number has now risen to 70,000.
The petitioner stated, 'NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen is an important official event in Japan,' adding, 'Allowing behavior that lacks historical awareness will not only damage Japan’s international image but also hurt those affected by the Hiroshima atomic bombing.'
Comments on the petition included, 'We cannot tolerate an idol who boasted about atomic bomb lighting,' and 'We can never forgive a member who praised atomic bomb lighting and shows no remorse for her actions.'
Media outlets noted, 'Aespa has emerged as the biggest victim of the recent diplomatic tensions between China and Japan,' and added, 'Whether they will be able to perform as scheduled could serve as a barometer of the current strain in China-Japan relations.'

[email protected] Moon Young-jin Reporter