NewJeans and aespa: scrutiny in the K-pop industry due to female artists’ health

NewJeans and aespa are under the spotlight, but this time, for all the wrong reasons! It’s no secret that the demanding lifestyle of K-pop girl groups has been a controversial topic over the years. Strict diets, extensive schedules, and little sleep time seem to be taking a toll on the girl bands mentioned before—and unfortunately, they are most likely not the only ones affected.

Recently, aespa’s Ning Ning missed one of the girl group’s shows this month after hospitalization for dehydration and exhaustion. Proving the difficult conditions, another aespa member, Winter, underwent lung surgery with little recovery time to dive back into promotions for the new aespa comeback. While companies assure their artists are taken care of, fans demand better conditions.

Similarly, NewJeans’ Hyein has been out of the spotlight due to a foot injury sustained in April. While her group promotes their Korean singles “How Sweet” and “Bubble Gum,” fans are wondering if Hyein might be feeling well enough to join them in their Japanese debut with singles “Supernatural” and “Right Now.” Their company, ADOR, has also emphasized the artist’s health is a priority.

Fans can’t help but wonder, is it really true agencies care about the condition of their artists? Or is this all a strategy to look good in the public’s face?