Aespa Ningning’s Pre-Debut Visuals In Viral Clip Spark Mixed Reactions

The clip instantly became a hot topic.

A pre-debut clip of aespa’s Ningning has gone viral on popular Korean community site Pann, quickly becoming one of the hottest topics of the day.

| @imnotningning/Instagram

The post — which has already racked up over 46,000 views — features several short GIFs of Ningning during her appearance on a Chinese singing audition program before her official debut with aespa.

A YouTube video of the episode is also included.

In the clip, Ningning is seen with minimal to no makeup and dressed casually in a denim jumper layered over a white shirt. The natural barefaced look has led to a wave of online reactions, ranging from praise for her facial features to debates over alleged cosmetic procedures.

While some netizens were quick to point out that some features have changed, others speculated about weight loss and makeup being the main reasons for any noticeable difference. Some even joked about online communities being quick to accuse idols of plastic surgery without considering other factors like dieting or styling.

| @imnotningning/Instagram

This isn’t the first time a pre-debut photo or clip of a K-Pop idol has stirred hot debate, but the strong reactions to Ningning’s younger appearance show just how closely fans “monitor” idols’ visuals. In aespa’s case, the members are known for their striking looks and strong stage presence, which may add to the curiosity surrounding their past appearances.

| Pann

• “Her facial features are literally the same, but just wait, those ahjummas will start crowding in again, talking nonsense about face contouring. Everyone knows the real deal is dieting, but on these forums… sigh.”
• “She’s had less done than others.”
• “She doesn’t look like a completely different person or anything? With the right makeup, she looks exactly like early-debut Ningning. Why are people overreacting?”
• “She lost a ton of weight, and her facial features were already defined from the start.”
• “Who is this? LOL”
• “Didn’t people say she was already pretty even before her debut? LMAO”

While some criticism over alleged plastic surgery was present in the top comments, many defended Ningning, saying she looked beautiful even before she became a huge star in a huge industry.