Group IVE member Jang Wonyoung was cleared of the unjust "being late" accusation.
Jang Wonyoung attended a photo event for a fashion brand on the morning of Jan. 29 in Seongdong District, Seoul.
That day, Jang Wonyoung appeared on the photo wall somewhat later than the originally announced event time. After the event, a video showing Jang Wonyoung looking surprised after hearing the comment "let's arrive a bit earlier" spread on online communities and social media, and the tardiness controversy arose.
However, it was revealed that this was a mistake by the agency that organized the event. Jang Wonyoung had already arrived and was waiting before the event time, but the on-site proceedings were not smooth, the agency explained.
The agency Taxi, which organized the event, explained in an official statement that day, "The arrival time informed to Jang Wonyoung by the brand was 11:30 a.m. Jang Wonyoung had arrived and was waiting right in front of the venue by 11:25 a.m."
They added, "The event operations staff said parking in front of the venue was not possible and asked Jang Wonyoung's side to wait. Accordingly, Jang Wonyoung waited for about 10 minutes while awaiting the call sign," and "due to a delay in the event operations' call sign, Jang Wonyoung received the call sign and appeared at 11:35 a.m., not the informed 11:30 a.m."
They continued, "We once again apologize to the reporters who had to wait in the cold weather. We also apologize for causing harm to Jang Wonyoung with incorrect information."
Meanwhile, IVE, which includes Jang Wonyoung, will release the pre-release track "BANG BANG" from their second full-length album and make a comeback on Feb. 9.
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