IVE’s Jang Wonyoung has become a hot topic online once again after a brief interaction at a luxury brand event went massively viral. A clip from the BVLGARI exhibition on October 28 shows the idol exchanging greetings with brand executives — and netizens cannot agree on what it means.
Jang Wonyoung at the BVLGARI event (Credits: BVLGARI)
Wonyoung attended the event as one of the brand’s ambassadors. During the photocall, she posed alongside top-level BVLGARI executives, including CEO Laura Burdese. Before the photos, Wonyoung exchanged a European-style cheek-kiss greeting with Burdese. But when it came to greeting Vincenzo Puija, the Global Sales and Retail Executive Vice President, she was seen quickly withdrawing her face while smiling — leaving the executive in a visibly awkward moment before he recovered.
Wonyoung’s BVLGARI Greeting Splits Netizens
The clip exploded across social media, sparking heated debate. Critics argued she should have followed the customs of an Italian brand’s event, with some calling her behavior rude toward the guests. Defenders countered that she had every right to enforce personal boundaries and refuse physical contact that made her uncomfortable — pointing out what they called a double standard compared to past uproar when another brand CEO touched Asian actresses at an event.
“The double standards of people really need to be studied,” one viral post read, noting netizens had previously demanded artists’ boundaries be respected when a designer placed his hand on an idol’s waist.
A Familiar Pattern for IVE’s Wonyoung
This is not the first time Wonyoung’s public interactions have drawn scrutiny — her behavior at the same BVLGARI event, including a photo with actress Kim Jiwon, previously divided netizens over claims of rudeness. As Koreaboo reports, opinions remain split, with no indication the moment was anything more than an awkward greeting caught on camera.
Also Read: IVE Jang Wonyoung’s Bulgari Event Photo With Kim Jiwon Divides Netizens Over ‘Rude’ Claim
Source: Koreaboo — read the full story there.
