IVE's Jang Won-young on malicious comments: 'Both good and hard times are nourishment for growth'

Jang Won-young, a member of the group IVE, calmly expressed her convictions regarding public attention, influence, and the various perspectives surrounding her. While her agency continues to take legal action against malicious posts both domestically and internationally, Jang drew attention by revealing a mature value system, stating that she accepts both positive and negative experiences as part of her growth process.

On the 13th, fashion magazine Arena Homme Plus released Jang's August cover pictorial and interview, conducted in collaboration with the luxury cashmere brand Barrie.

In the released pictorial, Jang naturally pulled off a wide range of moods, from pure white minimal styling to intense red looks and dreamy concepts featuring close-ups of her face. She proved her presence as a fashion icon, completing different emotions through restrained expressions, deep gazes, and delicate poses alone.

In the interview conducted alongside the pictorial, she also spoke candidly about her thoughts while living under intense public scrutiny.

Jang began by saying, "As with everything in the world, I don't think things are just purely good or purely bad."

She continued, "Of course, there may be uncomfortable parts, but I tend to enjoy even those things. Since I believe that whether it is a positive or negative event, it ultimately has a good influence on me, I try to humbly accept and enjoy every situation."

These remarks once again demonstrate her usual values, which are well known for her positive mindset.

In particular, she shared her honest thoughts regarding the 'Lucky Vicky' way of thinking, which has become a popular buzzword online.

"I am not forcing myself to live positively," Jang explained. "I have always lived this way, and the expression 'Lucky Vicky' naturally came up during the interview."

She added, "It is a natural way of thinking for me, but because so many people often talk about the positive aspects, there are times when I find myself reflecting on, 'Why don't I think like that?'"

However, she expressed certainty in her attitude toward life, adding, "Still, my thought that I want to continue living as I am now remains unchanged."

In this way, Jang explained positivity not as a strategy or an image, but as a way of life formed over a long period. This can be read as an example that goes beyond simple optimism to show an individual's psychological Resilience in interpreting their external environment. Recently, in the pop culture industry, the mental health of celebrities and the influence of the online environment have emerged as important social issues, and the ability for positive self-perception and emotional regulation is gaining attention as a core competency that enables sustainable activities.

Jang has recently been pursuing strong legal action against malicious posts.

Her agency, Starship Entertainment, disclosed the progress of the investigation into the authors of malicious posts targeting Jang through an official statement last month.

The agency stated, "As a result of checking the progress with investigative agencies, an investigation is currently underway to identify the suspects and secure evidence."

They further explained, "For domestic platforms such as Naver Blog and DC Inside, warrant procedures are underway to secure subscriber information, and international cooperation procedures are being promoted to identify authors and secure related materials on overseas platforms such as X (formerly Twitter)."

This is evaluated as a case showing that the agency's policy is to hold even users of overseas social media platforms legally accountable, clearly defining a stance to pursue legal responsibility not just for domestic platforms but for overseas users as well, reflecting a gradual shift toward more active responses by entertainment agencies against online malicious posts.

In fact, there has been an increase in cases within the entertainment industry where civil and criminal liabilities are actively pursued for malicious comments, the spread of false information, and defamation. As the balance between freedom of expression and responsible communication in online spaces emerges as a social challenge, Jang is continuing her activities in her own way, maintaining the principle of legal action while personally accepting various perspectives as part of her growth.

Amidst constant attention and evaluation, Jang's message that "both good and hard times are ultimately experiences that make me grow" is read as a demonstration of a mature value system from an artist striving not to lose her center in the midst of the intense pop culture industry.