IVE's Jang Wonyoung Posts Kind Notes After Bulgari Event Clip

IVE member Jang Wonyoung has shared a post that some fans have interpreted as an indirect response to a recent manners controversy. The debate started after a video from a Bulgari event spread online.

On Nov. 4, Jang Wonyoung posted several photos to her Instagram account without a caption. She added only a few emojis: a water droplet, a flustered face, and a wave.

The photos showed moments from her daily life, while several featured heartwarming messages she had received. One was a text she had received that read, "A hard working girl who loves her simple pleasures." She also shared handwritten letters with messages such as "It seems just like Wonyoung's clear heart" and "Wonyoung's kind nature."

The post came on the same day that a video began circulating across online communities and social media. It showed the singer at an event for the Italian luxury brand Bulgari, held on Oct. 28 in Seoul's Cheongdam area.

In the clip, Jang Wonyoung greets Bulgari CEO Laura Burdese with a cheek-to-cheek greeting. Vincenzo Puija, Bulgari's vice president of global sales and retail, then leans in to greet her in the same manner. However, she pulls her face back and turns her head, causing the greeting to go unanswered. He appears to pause for a moment.

Some online users accused her of deliberately avoiding his greeting. The clip quickly sparked a debate over her manners.

Jang Wonyoung addressed the issue on the afternoon of Nov. 4 through a fan communication platform.

"Things were so hectic that I missed one person's cheek greeting, and I guess that can be misunderstood," she wrote. "We're all close, like family. We greeted each other happily before the event started. Of course I just didn't see it."

She added, "Nobody actually thinks I didn't do it on purpose, right? That would be really strange."

This is not the first time she has drawn criticism this year. In January, she called Hong Kong "one of my favorite countries," which led to backlash from Chinese internet users. That same month, she faced criticism over arriving late to an event.

In June, her attitude during departure immigration screening became the subject of debate. In July, some criticized her for keeping her arms crossed while an amusement park staff member was explaining something to her. Last month, she was also caught up in claims that she did not properly return a greeting from junior girl group A2O LITE.

As the controversies piled up, some users on online communities joked, "Isn't this her samjae year?" Samjae is a Korean folk belief about a three-year stretch of bad luck. For one of K-POP's most closely watched stars, even a missed hello at a brand event can now become a headline.