IVE's Jang Wonyoung Cleared of Tardiness Allegations After Event Organizer's Clarification

IVE member Jang Wonyoung found herself embroiled in an unexpected 'tardiness controversy.'

On the morning of the 29th, Jang attended a brand's photo event in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. During the photocall, she struck various poses. The controversy arose when a video filmed immediately after the event spread online. In the video, as Jang appeared at the photocall, a man shouted, "Wonyoung, let's be on time," capturing her seemingly flustered expression as she left the scene.

The edited 19-second video was uploaded to YouTube with titles like "First time seeing this situation;; Jang Wonyoung scolded by a reporter for being late," and it quickly surpassed 100,000 views within three hours. The video attracted over 500 critical comments.

Various online communities also saw posts titled 'Jang Wonyoung scolded by a reporter for being late at today's event' and 'Days when Jang Wonyoung was reported late to events.' Some netizens reacted sharply, saying, "Is it so hard to apologize?", "Is being a celebrity a privilege?", "It's understandable to be upset when waiting outside in the cold," and "Being late for work is a professional issue."

The controversy further escalated with unverified claims that "Jang Wonyoung was 40 minutes late." However, the situation took a turn when the event organizers issued an official clarification.

The agency responsible for the event released a statement explaining, "There is some misinformation regarding the artist's appearance time at the photocall, and we would like to clarify the circumstances."

According to the agency, the brand had informed Jang Wonyoung to arrive by 11:30 AM. Jang was actually near the venue by 11:25 AM, five minutes before the event was to start, but was asked to wait further due to parking issues at the venue.

As a result, Jang waited in her vehicle for about 10 minutes for the call sign and appeared at the photocall at 11:35 AM, slightly later than scheduled due to operational delays.

The agency apologized, saying, "We apologize for keeping the reporters waiting in the cold due to the delay in the call sign by the event organizers," and added, "We also apologize for the harm caused to Jang Wonyoung due to misinformation."

Following the clarification, online sentiment shifted. Netizens expressed, "Knowing the circumstances, it must have been so unfair," "I'm angry even though I'm not involved," "The negative comments were too harsh," and "Those who commented should apologize." Some users who had left critical comments deleted their posts or corrected their statements.

Ultimately, Jang Wonyoung was cleared of the 'tardiness allegations' that arose due to the organizer's mishandling of the event.

Kim Se-ah, Ten Asia Reporter haesmik@tenasia.co.kr