Jang Won-young Faces Criticism from Chinese Netizens for Calling Hong Kong a 'Country'... Signs of Boycott Emerge

[Financial News] Jang Won-young, a member of the group Ive, is facing criticism from Chinese netizens over her recent remarks about Hong Kong.
A recent video titled 'MAMA 2025 Behind' posted on Ive's official YouTube channel showed Jang Won-young visiting Hong Kong.
In the video, Jang Won-young said, "I need to have a delicious dinner," and added, "I like Hong Kong. There are so many delicious foods. Hong Kong is one of my favorite countries."
Chinese netizens took issue with Jang Won-young referring to Hong Kong as one of her favorite countries. They expressed discomfort, claiming she described Hong Kong as an independent nation rather than a part of China.
Currently, China designates Hong Kong as a Special Administrative Region and adheres to the 'One China' principle. This principle asserts that mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are inseparable and that there is only one legitimate government.
In response, Chinese netizens argued, "Hong Kong is Chinese territory, not a country," and accused Jang Won-young of disrespecting China's sovereignty.
On Weibo, China's largest social networking service, hashtags such as #JangWonyoungHongKongCountry, #IVEGetOutofChina, and #KoreanIdolsHistoryEducation have been spreading, with signs of a boycott against Ive emerging.
Local media have also joined the criticism. Sina Entertainment pointed out, "This is a clear challenge to China's territorial integrity." Global Times also criticized, stating, "Although Korean idols are aware of the importance of the Chinese market, they lack political sensitivity," and added, "They earn money from Chinese fans while showing a double standard by not respecting China's sovereignty."
This is not the first time Jang Won-young has faced attacks from Chinese netizens. Back in 2022, during Paris Fashion Week, she was criticized by Chinese netizens for posting a photo wearing a binyeo, a traditional Korean hair ornament, with baseless accusations that she was appropriating Chinese culture.
hsg@fnnews.com Han Seung-gon Reporter