Winter Faces Malicious Comments After Jungkook Dating Rumors, SM Steps In

SM Entertainment has warned that it will take legal action against people posting malicious content about Winter of K-pop girl group aespa. The agency issued the statement on its official social media accounts on September 28.

"We sternly warn that we will take strong legal action against malicious posts that continue to be circulated targeting Winter," SM Entertainment said.

The agency said false claims, defamation, insults, malicious attacks, personal attacks and sexual harassment targeting the artist have continued to appear across various platforms. "After careful review by our law firm, we plan to proceed with legal measures, including filing complaints, in stages," it said.

SM Entertainment said it would also respond to unlawful posts on anonymous message boards and social media without exception. The agency said it would gather evidence needed to identify those responsible and trace how the posts were created and circulated, both in South Korea and abroad, before requesting investigations by the relevant authorities. "We will hold the offenders legally accountable under a zero-tolerance principle, without leniency or settlements," it said.

Dating rumors linking Winter to Jungkook of BTS surfaced late last year. The speculation flared up again in August after the two liked the same social media post. Rumors and malicious comments about Winter have continued to circulate online since then.

Winter debuted as a member of aespa in 2020. The group has released songs including "Next Level," "Drama" and "Supernova." aespa is currently on its "SYNK : COMPLEXITY" world tour, which spans 25 locations across North America, South America and Europe.