Aespa’s Winter Has Undergone Surgery for a Collapsed Lung, SM Entertainment Confirms

The Chosunilbo JNS/Getty Images

Aespa member Winter has undergone surgery to fix a collapsed lung. After various articles citing Winter's reported surgery started circulating online, the singer's company, SM Entertainment, confirmed the news on April 12, 2024, with a statement provided to South Korean outlet Newsen.

Though the company did not specify when or where Winter's surgery had taken place, SM Entertainment confirmed the singer is currently recovering after receiving surgery for pneumothorax, commonly referred to as a collapsed lung.

According to Newsen's report, Winter underwent surgery sometime after landing on South Korean soil on April 9, 2024, after returning from Japan, where, on April 6, she appeared on Venue 101, a live music show aired by Japanese broadcaster NHK, alongside her members.

In its statement to Newsen, SM reiterated that pneumothorax is a common condition and shared that Winter had decided to undergo preemptive surgery after careful consideration and advice from medical staff.

News of Winter's surgery comes at a busy time for aespa. The girl group is slated to have a comeback in May before kickstarting their new SYNK: Parallel Line world tour in Seoul's Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium in late June. From June until September, the tour has 20+ scheduled stops across Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Australia, and more.

Regarding how the surgery will affect her Winter's slated activities with aespa, SM Entertainment could only state that the group's "future schedule will be carried out with Winter's recovery as the top priority." We're sending Winter our best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue

Want more great Culture stories from Teen Vogue? Check these out:

• A New Generation of Pretty Little Liars Takes on the Horrors of Being a Teenage Girl

• Who Is Rihanna, Really?

• Jennette McCurdy Is Finally Able to Grieve

• Underneath Chappell Roan’s Hannah Montana Wig? A Pop Star for the Ages

• Donald Glover’s Swarm Is Another Piece of Fandom Media That Dehumanizes Black Women

• On Velma, Mindy Kaling, and Whether Brown Girls Can Ever Like Ourselves on TV

• The Next Generation of Female Rap Lives on TikTok

• Gaten Matarazzo Talks Spoilers, Dustin Henderson, and Growing Up on Stranger Things

• How K-pop Stars Are Leading Mental Health Conversations for AAPI People and Beyond

• Meet the Collective of Philly TikTokers Making You Shake Your Hips

• The Midnight Club Star Ruth Codd Isn’t Defined By Her Disability