Group IVE member JANG WONYOUNG has addressed the controversy surrounding a "cheek kiss" greeting that recently surfaced from a luxury brand event.
On November 4, JANG WONYOUNG stated via a paid fan communication platform, "At the Bvlgari event, because it was a photo call, I was also distracted and missed one person's cheek greeting, and I guess that could be misunderstood."
She continued, "Before the event started, we were all screaming 'kyaa' and greeting each other like complete family," adding in bewilderment, "Of course I just didn't see it. Surely nobody thinks I deliberately didn't do it, right? If so, I'd find that really bizarre."
The "cheek kiss" incident arose when a video showing JANG WONYOUNG attending an event for the Italian luxury brand Bvlgari, held on October 28 in Gangnam, Seoul, spread online.
Attending the event as an official Bvlgari ambassador, JANG WONYOUNG greeted Laura Burdese, CEO of Bvlgari, with a cheek-to-cheek greeting. Afterward, when Vincenzo Pujia, Vice President of Global Sales and Retail at Bvlgari, attempted to greet her in the same manner, JANG WONYOUNG kept a distance with her arm, pulled her face back, and turned her head away. The executive appeared awkward.
After the video spread online on November 4, opinions were divided. Some commenters responded that while JANG WONYOUNG accepted the cheek greeting from the female CEO, she intentionally avoided the male executive, claiming it went against business etiquette. On the other hand, others voiced that while cheek kisses are a routine sign of friendliness in European cultures, they can feel somewhat burdensome in cultures like South Korea where physical contact is unfamiliar.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)
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