Red Velvet Irene’s Behavior At The Airport Sparks Scrutiny And Heated Debate
A recent post on the Korean forum Pann has ignited heated reactions after attempting to criticize Red Velvet’s Irene and her facial expressions at the airport. The post has already amassed over 140,000 views.
The post claims Irene looks “fierce” and cold upon her arrival in Korea, attempting to frame her demeanor in a negative light.
However, the tone of the post has not gone over well with the public. Despite going viral, it has received hundreds of downvotes, and the majority of comments push back against the criticism, many defending Irene and calling the post unfair.
Look at how fierce Irene’s face looks.
— Viral Pann post
View this post on Instagram
Irene had landed at Incheon Airport earlier this week following the successful Shanghai fan signing event with fellow Red Velvet member Seulgi. The duo has been actively promoting as a subunit, and their latest stop drew a strong response from fans overseas thanks to their popularity.
250726 KMS FS in SH#레드벨벳 #RedVelvet #아이린 #IRENE #RedVelvet_IRENE_SEULGI#레드벨벳_아이린_슬기 pic.twitter.com/Zxjj4zSIue
— Taek (@Taek0321) July 26, 2025
In some of the airport pictures taken by reporters, Irene is seen with a neutral or serious expression, which seems to have been the basis for the original post’s negative tone.
But other images from the same day show Irene smiling brightly, laughing, and interacting warmly with the many fans and reporters that swarmed her.
Irene saying it's too hot while carrying her hot pack and wearing long sleeves 😭#IRENE #아이린 #RedVelvet @RVsmtown pic.twitter.com/PgAzOuZz5z
— Irene 아이린 Global 🌷 (@irene_global) July 27, 2025
250727 ICN 입국#아이린 #IRENEhttps://t.co/GTD8kLsna3 pic.twitter.com/iMFy9JfwBI
— wonder (@91×329) July 27, 2025
[PRESS] 250727 Incheon arrival#아이린 #IRENE pic.twitter.com/rCx0HIHvWX
— . (@SoloBae91) July 27, 2025
Many netizens have pointed out that it’s unreasonable to expect celebrities to be cheerful at every moment, especially during hectic travel schedules. Others highlighted that Irene has always been known for her “cold beauty” visuals, which can sometimes be misunderstood when she’s not actively smiling.
- “She looks bright, though.”
- “The kind of people who nitpick celebrities’ facial expressions like this are usually the ones who walk around with resting bitch face themselves and get called out for it all the time.”
- “Irene’s always had that ‘cold beauty’ vibe, so when she’s expressionles,s she can come off super icy. That’s why she got witch-hunted so hard over her facial expressions lol. But the photo OP uploaded is from an article, and she looks stunning.”
- “Using the word ‘fierce’ like that… seriously, your choice of words is so messed up.”
- “She’s seriously so freaking pretty, wow…”
