Winter of the group aespa spoke publicly for the first time at an official event following dating rumors with BTS's Jungkook. On the afternoon of the 20th, at the '2025 Melon Music Awards' (MMA2025) held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Winter took the stage to express her gratitude to fans.

MMA2025 covers all music released from October 31, 2024, to November 19, 2025. At the ceremony, model and broadcaster Joo Woo-jae and YouTuber Kwak Tube served as presenters. aespa was announced as the winner of the 'Stage of the Year' award. However, member Ningning was absent from some events due to cold symptoms, so only Karina, Winter, and Giselle appeared on stage.

Winter attracted attention by speaking at an official event for the first time since the dating rumors with BTS's Jungkook surfaced. aespa's TOP10 award was also their first trophy since the rumors arose. While Karina gave a speech when receiving the TOP10 award, Winter took the microphone for the 'Stage of the Year' award.

Winter said, "At the beginning of our debut, because of COVID-19, we performed on stage remotely, so I often felt fear and anxiety about the stage. But performing together with MYs (the fandom name) and the audience, I felt joy and happiness." She continued, "We will continue to work hard to become artists who bring happiness and energy to MYs and the audience."

Meanwhile, Winter was recently involved in dating rumors with BTS's Jungkook. The two were suspected of having 'couple tattoos' with matching dog designs, as well as using similar designs for nail art, bracelets, and in-ear monitors. Jungkook's attendance at an aespa concert during his military service and the similarity of their personal account IDs also fueled the rumors. However, neither Winter nor Jungkook's sides have made any official statements regarding this.

This awards ceremony drew more attention due to the overlap of aespa's activities and Winter's personal situation. aespa has been receiving positive responses through recent music activities and communication with fans, raising expectations for their future plans.

aespa plans to strengthen their relationship with fans through various activities in 2025. They will focus not only on the group's musical growth but also on the personal development of each member. Winter's remarks mark an important moment emphasizing this direction.

Specific schedules for aespa's upcoming activities have not yet been announced. However, fans hold high expectations for the group's future moves, and Winter's speech has further heightened these anticipations.

Based on their achievements at MMA2025, aespa plans to engage with fans on more stages in the future. Both the group's musical accomplishments and the members' personal growth are drawing attention, and aespa's future path is highly anticipated.