SM Entertainment confirmed that aespa’s Winter had undergone surgery in Seoul for pneumothorax and is currently recovering from it.  

According to a report by Korean Media outlet 10Asia, Winter arrived in Japan on April 6 and completed her schedule before she had her Pneumothorax surgery. 

This is due to what is medically known as collapsed lungs. 

Pneumothorax is a condition that needs surgery in order to prevent recurrence. It is a condition in which air leaks into the space between a person’s lungs and chest wall. 

Treatment for Pneumothorax may go away on its own if it’s a small pneumothoraces. 

But larger pneumothoraces need surgery, so as to remove the air from the lungs. 

The symptoms of Pneumothorax include sudden sharp chest pain due to deep breathing or a cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, rapid heart rate, and bluish color of skin due to lack of oxygen. 

The agency said Winter is currently recovering from her lung surgery. 

“Winter recently underwent surgery for pneumothorax and is currently recovering,” the agency said. “As [pneumothorax] is a condition prone to recurrence, the surgery was carried out as a preventive measure in accordance with her doctor’s opinion, and the decision was made after plenty of discussion.” 

With her recovery affecting her scheduled activities, SM Entertainment stated that they will “consider Winter’s recovery status as their top priority moving forward.”  

About aespa

aespa is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment in 2020. The group consists of four members: Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning. They first debuted with their digital single “Black Mamba.” 

Their success further went on as on June 2, 2022—it’s been announced that aespa signed with Warner Records for global promotions. 

aespa is currently scheduled to make a comeback in May. The group is also holding a world tour in June.