'Mom cafes' target Jang Won-young of Ive

(Online Community)

Jang Won-young of K-pop group Ive has come under fire in some "mom cafes" -- online boards frequented by mothers -- over a clip of the singer avoiding the touch of a young child.

The video shows the 18-year-old K-pop star flinching away from a young boy who approaches her and attempts to touch her arm. One of her bandmates, Gaeul, is also shown glancing at the boy. A staff member who was walking behind the singers quickly stepped to stop the boy from making further contact.

Some mom cafe users left comments castigating Jang's attitude, saying that "she would have made his day if she smiled instead of avoiding him so coldly," or that she does not seem to be a good person.

Other cafe users, however, defended the singer's behavior. They argued that the child should not touch others without their consent, and that his parents need to teach him to respect personal boundaries. They also criticized some of the commenters for their scathing remarks against the singer.

The issue sparked further contention when Jeon Yeo-ok -- a conservative commentator and former lawmaker -- weighed in. In a social media post, Jeon said "Jang Won-young is not a child's toy," and called the moms who left hateful comments against the singer unreasonable. "(These moms) would sue a pediatrician checking up on the child for sexual assault," she said. Jeon added that "mom cafes" have been made into an "absolute power" by progressive politicians.

By Park Soong-joo(soongjoopark@heraldcorp.com)