While new concerts are usually met with excitement, fans are slamming SM Entertainment following the announcement of aespa’s upcoming third international tour, SYNK: aeXIS LINE. Set to kick off in Seoul on August 28 this year with a three-day run at KSPO Dome, the timing of the tour has left numerous MYs outraged.
The group’s previous tour, SYNK: PARALLEL LINE, was a massive undertaking spanning 43 shows across three legs, including stops in the United States and Europe. Beginning in June 2024, the tour ran for seven and a half months, only wrapping up on March 16 this year — less than three months before the announcement of their upcoming tour.
As such, fans are concerned that the members have not had enough time to rest between their schedules over the past year. Many are accusing the company of prioritizing their profits over aespa’s health, labeling them “money hungry” for using the members as “cash cows.”
The gap between the two tours has been filled with preparations for aespa’s long-awaited comeback with their new single “Dirty Work,” due to drop on June 27. Following this, the members will be flying to the United Kingdom to perform at SMTOWN LIVE in London on June 28. All four members of aespa are juggling individual activities at the same time, from brand endorsements to solo event appearances. Plus, the group’s sixth mini album is expected to be released in the third quarter of 2025, around the same time their tour begins.
In particular, MYs have been vocal about their concerns for aespa’s health. Over the past two years, individual members have missed multiple performances due to medical concerns. Karina previously sat out of several concerts on the Japan leg of SYNK: PARALLEL LINE, while Ningning was unable to perform at K-Wave Concert Inkigayo last year after experiencing dehydration and exhaustion during rehearsals.
To make matters worse, SM Entertainment’s choice of venue for SYNK: aeXIS LINE in Seoul is also drawing fierce criticism. On top of noting that KSPO Dome’s 15,000-seat capacity is unsuited to aespa’s popularity, many have suggested that booking one date at a bigger venue (such as the 70,000-seat Jamsil Olympic Stadium) would have been easier on the members’ workloads.
While the agency has only announced SYNK: aeXIS LINE concert dates in South Korea and Japan so far, fans expect the tour to expand to the wider Asia Pacific region, North America, and Europe in 2026.
