Aespa member Winter drew online criticism after Dispatch removed an unedited photo of her from an Instagram post. The image was deleted following harassment from some fans, prompting further backlash against the idol and assumptions about plastic surgery.
Aespa arrived at Gimpo Airport on June 26 en route to Japan for the TV Tokyo Music Festival 2026 Summer, where the group was scheduled to perform on June 28. Dispatch documented the departure in casual travel attire and later deleted the photo of Winter after negative comments flooded in.
Netizens accused the outlet of bowing to fan pressure and pointed to perceived changes in the idol's appearance over the years. Some comments took a malicious turn by speculating about plastic surgery for Winter and other Aespa members.
The incident follows a pattern of increased scrutiny on idols' unedited visuals in recent months. Dispatch's Facebook account retained the image showing Winter with her cap pulled down.