IVE member Jang Wonyoung has once again become the target of criticism from Chinese netizens following remarks made in a recent behind-the-scenes video related to the MAMA Awards 2025.
The controversy stems from a video uploaded to IVE’s official YouTube channel titled “2025 MAMA Behind.” In the clip, Jang Wonyoung expresses his excitement ahead of the event held in Hong Kong, speaking casually backstage.
During the video, he said, “We should have a delicious dinner. I like Hong Kong. There is so much good food. Hong Kong is one of the countries I like.” He added, ‘Today I want to eat Peking duck. I hope everyone enjoys a good dinner and has fun watching’2025 MOM.’”
After the video was published, Chinese netizens took issue with his description of Hong Kong as a “country,” arguing that the remark violated the “One China” principle. Although Chinese subtitles in the video translate the word as “region,” critics pointed out that the original Korean audio used words they interpreted as problematic.
The online reaction quickly spread to China’s largest social media platform, Weibo, where hashtags such as #JangWonyoungHongKongCountry, #IVEGetOutOfChinaAND #KoreanIdolsHistoryEducation started trending. Some users even called for a boycott of the artist.
Chinese media also reported on the matter. Sina Entertainment published an article titled “IVE’s Jang Wonyoung Refers to Hong Kong as a ‘Country’… Controversy on MAMA Behind Video,” stating that the observation was seen as “a direct challenge to China’s territorial integrity.” The Global Times echoed similar criticism, commenting on it “Korean idols take advantage of the Chinese market while lacking political sensitivity,” and accusing them of showing themselves “a double standard” towards Chinese sovereignty.
This is not the first time that Jang Wonyoung has faced intense criticism from Chinese netizens. In 2022, she previously came under fire after sharing photos from Paris Fashion Week in which she wore a traditional Korean hairpin. At the time, some Chinese netizens claimed that it was “stealing Chinese culture”, insisting that the phoenix-shaped hairpins came exclusively from China.
At this time, neither Jang Wonyoung nor his agency have released an official statement addressing the latest controversy.
Sources: Nate News
