K-pop idol Jang Wonyoung recently found herself in the eye of a social media storm. A video of the IVE center reacting to a child touching her in Madrid, Spain, went viral on social media, leading to baseless accusations of racism and colorism. However, her fans came to the singer’s defense.
In the video, a child can be seen approaching Wonyoung, waving and appearing to touch her hair. She reacts with surprise before security moves the child out of the way. The video has earned over five million views, with some calling her a colorist and racist.
https://twitter.com/taelvq/status/1682547503747551237
However, Korean netizens came to Wonyoung‘s defense, pointing out her tendency to get startled easily. Wonyoung herself previously opened up about her fears in an interview with Y Magazine. “I’m afraid of horror movies with ghosts, large insects, and the dark. I get scared or surprised easily, so people always ask why I get surprised so often.”
This information provides much-needed context to Wonyoung‘s reaction in the viral video. Her fans also argued that there was nothing wrong with her reaction to someone invading her personal space.
"wonyoung should've never reacted in that way!!" well maybe that fucking child shouldn't be reaching out to try and grab her. idk why people are pretending they wouldn't react in the same way she did if someone – child or adult – touched them without consent
— bex (ia) (@dearlycyn) July 22, 2023
They shared similar experiences and emphasized that someone’s boundaries should be respected, no matter their age or profession.
Wonyoung and children
Meanwhile, one of Wonyoung’s fans shared a clip of the idol reacting kindly to children in the past.
It’s important to note that the children in question greeted her without invading her personal space. Those clips further supported the argument that how she reacted in Madrid was normal. After all, the child who approached her there took her by surprise.
Quotes stop and see how wonyoung initiated greeting these kids who respected her personal spacepic.twitter.com/HaUhkGpm4x https://t.co/Ni6LwBhfqF
— 🤔 (@shino_ive) July 22, 2023
Some have expressed hope that this incident will lead to a broader conversation about respect for people’s personal boundaries, even in the context of fan interactions with celebrities. As Wonyoung continues her journey with IVE, her loyal DIVEs are ready to stand by her in the face of any future controversies. —K-pop News Writer
Featured Image: Wonyoung posted several selcas to mark the end of IVE’s first world tour. Source: Instagram/Wonyoung’s personal Instagram account.