IVE's Wonyoung Criticised For “Acting Like A Diva” After Someone Saw Her Doing This At Airport Immigration

IVE’s Jang Wonyoung, 21, is no stranger to being under the spotlight for just about everything she does, with even the smallest snippets turning into viral moments, from allegedly flinching when a kid reached out to touch her, to covering her nose at the airport, which some took as her reacting to “smelly fans”. 

Recently, yet another clip of Wonyoung at the airport has gone viral, and netizens are not sparing her criticism this time either.

According to Korean media, the idol and her group members were at Gimpo International Airport on May 30, preparing to fly to Shanghai, where they all donned hats and masks that covered most of their faces.

While at immigration, during passport verification before departure, Wonyoung was seen being asked by an officer to remove her mask and cap for identification. 

However, netizens noticed that she only slightly lifted them before lowering them again, and were quick to question whether it was sufficient to properly verify her identity. 

After, she was seen standing with her arms crossed while waiting for inspection. Upon receiving her passport, she took it with one hand before walking away.

Apparently, some people took issue with her stance and demeanour, with the clip making the rounds online and many criticising her for “acting like a diva” and having a “lofty attitude”. 

It didn’t help that when it was her fellow member Gaeul’s turn, while the latter also only briefly lifted her cap and mask in a similar fashion, she was seen receiving her passport with both hands and bowing to the officer before moving on, leading some netizens to compare the two interactions.

Wonyoung received plenty of backlash for what some deemed as “cold and dismissive” behaviour, but comments were split, with some also jumping in to defend her. 

Supporters questioned how else she was supposed to receive her passport, adding that it is totally common for people to take it back with one hand. They also said that her actions were being “overly scrutinised”, and that a routine travel process shouldn’t have been blown out of proportion.

While the situation sparked valid discussion about how celebrities are treated at airports, where passengers are typically required to fully remove masks and caps for verification, many argued that the young idol was being unfairly villanised. 

As one netizen put it: “It’s really not fair to be judging someone’s personality from a single video.”