BTS's Jungkook faces demands from fans to leave the group, Winter Aespa responds fiercely to rumors.

According to Chosun on December 10th, the wave of protests against dating rumors surrounding BTS's youngest member, Jungkook, reached its peak when a group of fans decided to stage a truck protest in front of HYBE's management company headquarters.

Extreme Demand from Fans: Remove Tattoos or Leave the Group

The controversy stemmed from dating rumors between Jungkook and aespa member Winter , which exploded on December 4th. Fans' trust was severely shaken after a series of "romantic" pieces of evidence emerged, including: The couple allegedly had matching tattoos of three dogs on their elbows; they frequently appeared with matching accessories and outfits; and even matching fingernails on their ring fingers. Jungkook, who rarely attends girl group concerts, unexpectedly attended aespa's solo concert while he was serving his mandatory military service. Winter accidentally called Jungkook by his real name (Jeon Jungkook) during a recent livestream, further fueling dating suspicions.

Most notably, even Jungkook's Instagram account name – "mnijungkook" – has been scrutinized by fans. They analyzed that swapping the letters "n" and "i" creates "minjungkook," which matches Winter's real name, Kim Min Jeong.

Faced with these undeniable "clues," the protest truck continuously displayed messages expressing intense disappointment and outrage: "Deceiving fans, harming the group, are you still sane?", "If you don't remove the matching tattoos, withdraw from BTS activities," "What fans sacrificed and waited for in the military, they received in return was deception..."

This drastic action reflects the "collapse of trust" among a segment of the fanbase. Many left critical comments on social media and declared they were "quitting" their fandom because they felt betrayed, especially since their idol was serving in the military.

SM Entertainment Reacts Strongly, HYBE Chooses to Remain Silent.

Amidst escalating rumors, the management company's actions have become the focus of attention.

HYBE (Jungkook's management company) and Big Hit Music continue to remain silent, offering no official response. This is interpreted by the public as an acknowledgment of the relationship, but without any intention of going public. This silence has only intensified the backlash from Jungkook's fans.

In contrast to HYBE, on the morning of December 10th, SM Entertainment – Winter's management company – issued a very strong official statement to defend their artist.

SM Entertainment announced it will take drastic legal action to address malicious rumors and comments. The company stated that it has discovered and gathered evidence of numerous harmful posts on major platforms (DC Inside, Nate Pann, X, YouTube, etc.) containing: insults to dignity and honor, defamation and sexual harassment, deepfake behavior, and spreading false information to tarnish the artists' reputation.

A representative from SM emphasized: "We will review each case and proceed with legal procedures sequentially, expanding the scope if necessary. We will respond strongly and without tolerance to any actions that create or spread false information."

SM's swift and decisive action is seen as timely and necessary to curb the defamation, while also demonstrating comprehensive protection for Winter and reassuring the idol's fans.

While Winter is receiving absolute protection from her management company, Jungkook is facing immense pressure from his own fanbase. The contrasting approaches of the two companies are drawing significant attention from the public and K-pop fans.

What is special about Winter - Aespa, Gen 4 beauty, rumored girlfriend Jungkook (BTS)? An Nhiên16:40:16 05/12/2025From Busan's Kim Minjeong to aespa's Winter, a prominent Gen 4 star of K-pop, her journey is a testament to effort, perseverance, and constant progress.