Although the 2025 Melon Music Awards (MMA 2025) concluded several days ago, the aftershocks of the event are still being felt. On the morning of December 23, Koreaboo reported that a short clip now surpassing 2 million views showing an interaction between BLACKPINK’s Jennie and IVE’s Jang Wonyoung has suddenly gone viral and become a hot topic across Asian social media platforms.
In the clip, Jennie is seen bowing first as Jang Wonyoung approaches her seat. Only afterward does Jang Wonyoung bow in return. This small detail quickly ignited anger among some BLACKPINK fans. According to traditional etiquette in the Korean entertainment industry, many believe that juniors are expected to greet their seniors first. As a result, some viewers felt that Jang Wonyoung, as a junior idol, should have bowed to Jennie before Jennie initiated the greeting.
Following the clip’s spread, a number of BLACKPINK fans accused Jang Wonyoung of being disrespectful to her senior. Others expressed frustration and sympathy toward Jennie, arguing that it was unfair for her despite being a well-established senior artist to have to bow first to a younger idol.
On online forums and social media, harsh criticism toward Jang Wonyoung quickly emerged. Comments included remarks such as, “Is Jang Wonyoung showing bad manners again?”, “This clip proves why Jennie is the only true IT Girl she’s kind and respectful, unlike someone else,” and “Jennie had to bow first even though she’s the senior?”
At the same time, many netizens stepped in to defend Jang Wonyoung, emphasizing that bowing slightly later does not equate to disrespect. Supporters pointed out that she did bow and did not ignore Jennie at all. Comments in her defense included, “Judging her character just because she bowed a second later is unreasonable,” “She clearly greeted Jennie, so why is she being attacked so badly?” and “I honestly don’t see a problem it’s nice to see two top visuals interacting.”
As the debate continues, the viral moment highlights once again how even the smallest gestures between top idols can be magnified, scrutinized, and fiercely debated in today’s online fandom culture.
