Idol singer Jang Won Young - a member of the Kpop group IVE - is becoming the focus of discussion on social networks, after appearing at the airport before the group's schedule abroad.
The video was recorded on May 30, when Won Young and IVE members departed from Gimpo International Airport (Korea) to Shanghai (China) to attend an event abroad.
That day, the members all chose a discreet airport fashion style, wearing low-fitting baseball caps and masks covering almost all of their faces.
During the exit procedures, airport staff asked Jang Won Young to temporarily remove his mask and hat to compare his face with the photo on his passport.
In the video, the 21-year-old female singer gently pulls her mask and raises her hat for about 1 second, only revealing a part of her face, then quickly lowers it, causing some people to question whether this is enough time to verify her identity.
The controversy became even more intense when a part of the audience paid attention to Jang Won Young's body language while interacting with airport staff. When the staff checked her papers, she stood with her arms crossed. When she received her passport back, she held it with one hand and immediately walked through the check-in area.
As of the afternoon of June 4, the video quickly attracted 36 million views in just 1 day of posting and caused many mixed opinions.
Critics argue that Jang Won Young's attitude looks quite cold and indifferent, and some even commented that this action shows excessive complacency with the status of a celebrity.
Conversely, there are also many fans who spoke out to defend the female singer, saying that netizens are over-analyzing a short moment. According to them, the personality of a person should not be judged based on just a few seconds appearing in the video.
What made the controversy hotter was that many people compared Won Young to Gaeul, a member of the group IVE who also underwent a similar verification process at the same time.
Although Gaeul did not completely remove her hat and mask, she received her passport back with both hands and gently bowed her head to thank the airport staff before leaving the inspection area.
Many comments assess that the contrast in the way the two female singers interact reflects differences in attitude and politeness between the two.
In contrast to Jang Won Young, Gaeul is praised for being polite, courteous, and not showing star status.
The debate also expanded to the issue of airport security procedures. Some people questioned whether ordinary passengers often have to take off their masks and hats completely to verify their identities, while celebrities seem to be treated more favorably.
