aespa's Winter Faces Health Setback Amid Action Against Malicious Comments

K-pop group aespa member Winter will sit out the group's Dallas concert after being diagnosed with shingles.

SM Entertainment announced on Sept. 30 KST that Winter would not participate in the concert at American Airlines Center in Dallas, scheduled for Sept. 29 local time, or the accompanying "Hi-Bye" and "Send-Off" fan events. Karina, Giselle and Ningning will perform and attend the events as a trio.

According to SM Entertainment, Winter felt unwell ahead of the Miami concert on Sept. 26 local time. "She took the stage because she wanted to perform alongside the members. However, her condition did not improve sufficiently afterward, so she visited a hospital following the Miami concert for a thorough examination and was diagnosed with shingles," the agency said.

SM said Winter remained eager to perform and worked to recover until just before the Dallas concert. "Following medical advice that the artist's health and sufficient recovery must come first, the agency and the artist carefully discussed the situation and decided that she would sit out the Dallas concert and rest," it said.

The agency added that Winter had been looking forward to meeting the Dallas audience and was disappointed to miss the show. It said she also wished to apologize to fans for the sudden news.

aespa launched "2026-27 aespa LIVE TOUR – SYNK : COMPLæXITY" at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Aug. 7 and 8. After stops in Taipei and Latin America, the group is now on the North American leg, with concerts in Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle and Vancouver scheduled after Dallas. The European leg begins in January 2027.

Separately, SM Entertainment announced on Sept. 28 that it would take legal action against malicious online posts targeting Winter. The agency said it plans to file criminal complaints and pursue other legal proceedings over false information, defamation, insults, personal attacks and sexual harassment. It said it would offer no leniency or settlements.