IVE member Jang Wonyoung has been swept into an “ignored greeting” controversy after the October 22 broadcast of Mnet’s M Countdown — even as the clip at the center of it shows her nodding and clapping.
According to Sports Chosun on October 23, the scene came during the first-place announcement, when Lee Soo-man-produced rookie girl group A2O LITE won with its debut track “NEON.” Artists including IVE shared the stage to congratulate them. In the clip, A2O LITE member RADA bows deeply to Wonyoung beside her; Wonyoung looks at her, nods lightly, and claps her hands for the rookie group’s win.
The clip spread across social media, where some netizens faulted Wonyoung for not returning the bow in kind — calling her cold and even spinning baseless claims that she was jealous of the rookies. Others pushed back, noting the footage hardly shows her ignoring anyone. “She did acknowledge the greeting,” one wrote. “Why would Wonyoung be jealous of anyone?”
RADA’s own fan account joined the defense on X on October 23, asking people to stop the hate: “Jang Wonyoung did nothing wrong. Neither of them deserves this treatment.” No official statement was available from Starship Entertainment.
The report notes IVE releases its new mini album “Looks Can Kill” on October 26. A2O LITE, a nine-member group that debuted on October 13, won its first music-show trophy just a week after debut.
