aespa’s Ningning recently became a topic of conversation after a recent clip showed her addressing a question about her sexuality.
On September 26, the Chinese K-pop star went live on Instagram, which lasted over an hour. During the livestream, someone asked her directly, “Do you like girls or boys?” Ningning reacted with surprise before answering in her own style:
Why you ask me THAT? Why are you asking me THAT. WDYM.. WDYM? I love humans, okay? Oh actually I don’t like humans, I like cats.
The candid reply received praise from fans for her humor and confidence in handling such a personal question.
This is not the first time Ningning has spoken openly about her views on relationships. On the variety show Knowing Bros, she was asked about her ideal type and explained that she only cares about a person’s personality, not their looks.
Ningning, born Ning Yizhuo on October 23, 2002, in Harbin, China, pursued music from a young age, appearing on programs like China’s Got Talent before joining SM Entertainment as a trainee. She debuted with aespa in 2020 with the single “Black Mamba” and has since become the group’s main vocalist and youngest member.
Recently, the 22-year-old K-pop star also gained attention after posting a cryptic message on her personal social media, asking fans, “Would it bother you if I deleted all my posts?” The timing fueled speculation, as it followed online criticism over aespa’s “awkward” performance of their newly released title track “Rich Man” at the GMA.
However, much of the negativity faded after the group impressed audiences on The Jennifer Hudson Show with their live performance of “Rich Man” and their playful interaction during a game segment with the host.
On the work front, aespa is preparing for their third world tour, SYNK: aeXIS LINE, which began at the KSPO DOME in Seoul from August 29 to 31. The tour will then travel across Asia, with confirmed stops in Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, and Indonesia through April 2026.
On September 5, 2025, aespa released their sixth mini-album Rich Man, but promotions in Korea were brief as the group shifted focus to the U.S. and other global activities. Also, they will reportedly skip the Korean year-end award shows to focus on their ongoing tour and other activities.