K-pop label and agency SM Entertainment has filed a police report against an anonymous death threat sent to aespa‘s Winter.
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SM Entertainment confirmed the report, per Soompi on Tuesday (August 8) that charges have been filed against the author of the now-deleted threat. According to the agency, the threat against Winter was published on Monday (August 7), and directly resulted in an increase of security manpower.
According to reports from CNA, the threat saw the author threatening to stab and kill Winter at Incheon International Airport while on the way to San Francisco for a performance with aespa.
“Yesterday, a post threatening Winter’s safety was made on an online community.As soon as we confirmed this, we filed a criminal complaint with the police against the writer of the post in question, and we requested a speedy investigation and cooperation,” SM Entertainment said in a statement, per Soompi.
“Additionally, we strengthened our security manpower, and aespa safely departed the country today through the cooperation of bodyguards and the airport police. The police also recently received reports about multiple incidents, so yesterday and today, they came to our company building to check on the security situation and [Winter’s] safety. We will continue to do our utmost to protect the safety of our company’s artists in the future as well.”
aespa are next set to release a new single, titled ‘Better Things’. The single is set for release on August 18, with a teaser being shared late last month. ‘Better Things’ will be aespa’s second release of 2023, following their May mini-album ‘MY WORLD’ and its title track ‘Spicy’. The record also included the pre-release single ‘Welcome to MY World’, and the songs ‘Salty & Sweet’, ‘Thirsty’, ‘Till We Meet Again’ and ‘I’m Unhappy’.
aespa’s ‘MY WORLD’ scored a four-star review from NME, with Rhian Daly writing: “‘MY WORLD’ might water down the layers of SM Culture Universe in its songs, but it doesn’t dilute the sound that aespa have become known for. So far, aespa have been the main characters in the SMCU; now, ‘MY WORLD’ is proving they could dominate other cosmoses too.”