Jang Won-young, a member of the group IVE, is drawing controversy after an excessive amount of appearance commentary erupted while she was leaving the airport during an exit screening process, removing both her mask and hat in accordance with the rules.
Jang Won-young follows airport rules, fully reveals bare face
On the 2nd, Jang Won-young departed via Gimpo International Airport to attend an in-person schedule in Japan. That day, when she entered the airport security checkpoint, she covered her face with a tightly pulled-down hat and a mask, but when she was asked at the exit screening counter to confirm her identity, she took everything off and revealed her face. A plain bare face without any makeup was captured on camera, and the image quickly spread through online communities and social media.
Move seen as acknowledging prior “preferential treatment” controversy… strict compliance with rules
The latest action is believed to reflect awareness of last May’s airport security screening attitude controversy. At the time, during the departure process from Shanghai, China, footage surfaced showing her lowering only her mask slightly while wearing a hat, prompting some netizens to raise claims of preferential treatment for celebrities and questions about her attitude. Jang Won-young, as if quelling the earlier controversy, completely removed both her hat and mask in line with security guidelines on this departure route.
No matter whether she wears it or takes it off, criticism comes… voices of self-reflection amid appearance scrutiny that went too far
But the controversy took a different turn. Once her face was fully visible, online, excessive evaluations of Jang Won-young’s appearance continued. While some commenters defended her for her modest look, posts also kept coming that pointed out small changes, saying she looked tired or that her face appeared swollen. Even vicious comments targeting her as a person emerged, making it hard not to furrow brows.
As a result, many netizens say they are exhausted by harsh scrutiny that finds fault at every moment—criticizing her for getting “preferential treatment” if she doesn’t follow the rules, and then criticizing her appearance if she does. Meanwhile, the Korea Airports Corporation said that last month it strengthened its security standards by specifying in guidance text that, for safe and accurate identity verification, passengers should temporarily remove their mask, hat, and sunglasses during identity checks.
