aespa’s Winter Conceals Tattoo to Address Rumors of Romance with Jung Kook

When aespa’s Winter appeared on the red carpet at the 2025 SBS Gayo Daejeon held at Incheon Inspire Arena on December 25, the horizontal tattoo on the lower part of her right arm, which was usually visible, was completely covered by makeup. Wearing an elegant off-shoulder dress in light gray-blue tones, she walked down the red carpet alongside her group members with a faint smile, but fans immediately noticed the absence of her typically recognizable tattoo. This move is interpreted as a deliberate attempt to respond to recent rumors of a romantic relationship between her and BTS’s Jung Kook. Winter’s actions to conceal her tattoo have become a recurring pattern over the past week. On December 19, during her performance at the 2025 KBS Gayo Festival, she wore long gloves only on the arm with the tattoo, and in photos from the dressing room at the 2025 Melon Music Awards on December 21, she was photographed in a pose that naturally covered that area. This occurred after rumors of a relationship between Winter and Jung Kook spread across online communities earlier this month. Netizens alleged that the two idols had the same tattoo in a similar location, their ring finger nail art matched, and that Jung Kook was spotted at an aespa concert. To date, neither HYBE nor SM Entertainment has issued any official statement regarding these rumors.