On the 3rd, Yang Mi-ra took to her Instagram story to address the issue, stating, "Since yesterday, I've noticed many people are worried or misunderstanding due to articles featuring my photo and name."
She clarified, "I only went for filming in early February, and it's not even my channel," adding, "I don't understand why my photo is the main image and why I'm being portrayed as someone who did something wrong. It's hard to accept this sudden situation."
Yang continued, "Amidst the flood of articles, there was nothing I could do," and added, "I felt I needed to speak out to avoid getting sick from stress. As always, I'll try to shake it off and fill myself with positive energy."
Previously, Ji So-yeon uploaded a video on her YouTube channel on February 28, a day before Korea's Independence Movement Day, featuring a trip to Japan with Yang Mi-ra in mid-February.
The video initially gained attention for Yang Mi-ra's intense security check during entry, but soon faced criticism for its timing, being uploaded just before the national holiday. Some netizens commented, "Why upload a Japan trip video right before Independence Movement Day?" and "The timing is unfortunate."
In response, Ji So-yeon posted on her Instagram on March 2, stating, "I take the various opinions regarding the Japan trip video seriously," and explained, "The video was content from a trip on February 11, but I didn't consider the significance of the posting date deeply enough."
She added, "I'm also troubled by the criticism directed at Mi-ra, who traveled with me," clarifying, "The decision to upload and the timing were entirely mine. Mi-ra was unaware of any related issues." She concluded by saying, "I sincerely apologize to Mi-ra and hope she isn't hurt by this."
Meanwhile, Yang Mi-ra married businessman Jeong Shin-wook, who is two years her senior, in 2018, and they have a son and a daughter.
Reporter Da-yeon Jeong, TenAsia light@tenasia.co.kr