Event Organizer Speaks Up After IVE’s Wonyoung Takes Heat For Recent Tardiness
IVE‘s Jang Wonyoung has been cleared of an “unfair accusation,” as it was revealed that she was not actually late to the event in question.
On January 29, 2026, Jang Wonyoung attended a photo event commemorating the launch of luxury cashmere brand BARRIE’s 2026 Spring/Summer collection, held in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul.
Despite her stunning visuals, an unexpected controversy arose over alleged tardiness. Jang Wonyoung appeared later than the originally scheduled time, but it was later revealed that this was due to disorganized on-site operations. As a result, Jang Wonyoung alone ended up being unfairly blamed.
The agency TAXI, which was in charge of casting for the BARRIE event, released a statement to apologize and take responsibility. They clarified that Wonyoung had actually arrived earlier than the call time, but she had to wait due to the event delay.
“Hello, this is TAXI, the agency responsible for casting for today’s BARRIE event. We sincerely apologize for keeping reporters waiting due to the photo call not being smoothly operated at today’s event.
However, as some incorrect information regarding the artist’s appearance time is spreading, we would like to provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances.
The arrival time communicated by the brand to ambassador Jang Wonyoung was 11.30am Jang Wonyoung arrived directly in front of the venue by 11.25am and was waiting.
The event operations staff requested that Jang Wonyoung’s side wait, stating that parking in front of the venue was not possible. As a result, Jang Wonyoung waited for approximately 10 minutes while awaiting the call signal.
Due to a delay in the call signal from the event operations team, Jang Wonyoung appeared after receiving the call signal at 11.35am, rather than the originally announced 11.30am
We once again apologize to the reporters who had to wait in the cold weather during this process. We also apologize for the harm caused to Jang Wonyoung due to incorrect information.”
It seems like the reporters were only kept waiting for 5 to 10 minutes. Despite this, they complained to Wonyoung directly at the event. You can read more about this below.
