A short interaction between actor Byun Woo Seok and K-pop star Jang Wonyoung at a recent breast cancer awareness event has sparked online speculation about the two, despite many netizens insisting it's an exaggerated reaction.
The interaction—which went viral after it surfaced online—displayed the two stars greeting each other with a mere glance and smile as they crossed paths during the event.
According to community reactions documented by Panchoa, some viewers interpreted the moment as unusually warm; others saw nothing beyond expected courtesy between celebrities.
Posts on Pann Nate have underlined the divided response. One user emphasized who greeted first. "Jang Wonyoung is the one who initiated it first."
Another commenter dismissed the assumption that a greeting indicates romance. "If you're really going to make couples assumptions because celebrities greet each other at public events, there would've been tens of couples already."
Others pointed out that the two have been on public stages together earlier, like last year's Asia Artist Awards. As one commenter put it, Jang Wonyoung was bound to get criticized no matter how she reacted.
"They both won the AAA Celebrity award last year. If Jang Wonyoung didn't greet first, they would say 'is she ignoring him?' and if she doesn't greet him back, people would say 'She's such a b*tch' the forced negative virality on Jang Wonyoung is so bad."
Other commenters followed the same line of reasoning. "AAnd if she didn't greet him, people will talk about how she didn't greet him."
Still, the moment did not go unnoticed, and some insisted the clip speaks for itself. "Jang Wonyoung stopped first to greet him, it's a fact."
The brief eye contact between the two stars has fueled repeated online discussions in recent months, as similar interactions at past public events have drawn attention. Despite the renewed speculation, no evidence suggests any relationship beyond professional courtesy, and both artists have made no public comment.
While reactions remain mixed, the debate underlines how even small gestures from high-profile celebrities manage to fire up wide interpretation in Korea's fast-moving online culture.
