JANGWONYOUNG's 'Late' Arrival Sparks Buzz Amid Seoul Cold Snap; Event Organizer Says She Was on Time

Amid chatter that IVE’s JANGWONYOUNG showed up late to a frigid outdoor event, the organizer has pushed back, saying the singer arrived on time and that a production delay was to blame for the holdup.

On the morning of Jan. 29, JANGWONYOUNG attended a photocall in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, celebrating the 2026 spring/summer collection from high-end cashmere house Barrie.

She hit the step-and-repeat roughly 20 minutes after the originally announced time. After the flashbulbs, a few members of the press were heard grumbling about punctuality; JANGWONYOUNG looked momentarily startled before moving along without comment.

The event agency issued a statement “to correct misinformation” about the timing of her appearance, laying out a detailed timeline.

According to the agency, the brand asked JANGWONYOUNG to arrive at 11:30 a.m., and she pulled up near the venue at 11:25 a.m., waiting on standby. Because curbside parking wasn’t possible, staff asked her team to hold until the official cue.

The organizer’s cue came at 11:35 a.m.―not 11:30 as planned―prompting her entrance then. The agency apologized to reporters who waited in the freezing temperatures and to JANGWONYOUNG for any harm caused by inaccurate reports.

Photo: Baik Seung-Chul

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)