Fact Check: IVE’s Jang Wonyoung Is From Atlanta, Georgia
IVE are currently on their THE 1ST WORLD TOUR ‘SHOW WHAT I HAVE.’ They performed at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA, on March 24, 2024
The night before, Jang Wonyoung, Liz, and Yujin attended the Atlanta Hawks vs Charlotte Hornets NBA game at the same venue.
wonyoung at a basketball game pic.twitter.com/fK985ZzC70
— ًً (@wonyofeed) March 24, 2024
042324 Atlanta
Wonyong ‘s 1st NBA basketball game🏀#IVE #장원영 #ウォニョン #WONYOUNG #JANGWONYOUNG #IVE_WORLD_TOUR#IVEinATLANTA #SHOW_WHAT_I_HAVE pic.twitter.com/yO5mKV48KO— ABOUT WONYOUNG (@about_wonyoung) March 25, 2024
When the IVE members were spotted at the game, the news circulated on social media. So, the popular X (formerly Twitter) account About Music (@AboutMusicYT) shared in a now-deleted post that “Wonyoung was spotted watching a basketball game at her hometown, Atlanta.”
Previously, the account also shared that Wonyoung had lived in Atlanta “when she was young.” This tweet went viral with 8.8M views at the time of writing.
Wonyoung surprisingly reveals that she used to live in Atlanta when she was young. pic.twitter.com/aX67kF4J6N
— About Music (@AboutMusicYT) March 22, 2024
Netizens were shocked to hear that Wonyoung is “from Atlanta.” So, it didn’t take long for the internet to run with this newfound information. Many Atlanteans are now claiming Wonyoung as one of them.
Just realized wonyoung really is the it girl from atl 😭
— em⁷ ✶༊🌷🫧💭₊˚ෆ🐺 𖧵 (@em_withluvv) March 24, 2024
@fred.wils0n Wonyoung is from Atlanta ‼️ #wonyoung #wonyoungive #ive#kpop #kpopfyp #fyp #fypシ
@everwonyoung2 #fypシ #fyp #kpopfyp #foryou #viral #ive #wonyoung #ivewonyoung #jangwonyoung #foryoupage #kpopforyou #atlanta
Wonyoung is not really from Atlanta, GA. She was born in Seoul, South Korea. She has been subject to rumors of alleged Taiwanese heritage, with claims that her mother is part Taiwanese and her father, while ethically Korean, reportedly grew up in Taiwan.
Fans Claim Produce 48 Winner Jang Wonyoung Is Part Taiwanese
Wonyoung is multilingual, speaking Korean, English, and basic Japanese. Not much regarding her upbringing is public except, according to fan websites, Wonyoung attended Seoul Shinyonsan Elementary School and then Yonggang Middle School but ultimately dropped out. She was homeschooled until she finished middle school. Finally, she graduated from the School of Performing Arts Seoul (SOPA) just last year. Yet, Wonyoung has previously revealed that she visited the U.S. while growing up and stayed for long periods, but there has been little knowledge regarding this until now.
Just a few days ago, Wonyoung revealed to fans via bubble for the first time that she stayed in Atlanta for an extended period. She remembers the time fondly and was happy to return during IVE’s tour.
During the recent concert, Wonyoung talked more about her love for Atlanta. She also confirmed that her English name is Vicky.
Wonyoung shows her love for ATL at IVE’s concert:
“And this place, Atlanta gave so much great memories and is so precious to me. I think ATL Dives made me recall the memories of Vicky! It’s my english name. You make me feel like I’m becoming Vicky today” pic.twitter.com/FwFtJWxdAC
— ًً (@wonyofeed) March 25, 2024
While Wonyoung isn’t exactly from Atlanta, the city is still happy to claim her!