"300,000 Won Test Fee, but Missed Exam by 1 Minute"…Debate Among Netizens Over An Sunyoung's Post

"No Exceptions Possible" VS "Understandably Upsetting Situation"

TV personality An Sunyoung (50) came under criticism after sharing that she was not allowed to take an internationally recognized English proficiency test because she arrived one minute late and was denied entry to the test center.

On June 9, An Sunyoung posted on her social media, "I couldn't find the parking lot, so I circled the one-way street eight times and finally managed to park. I arrived before the 9 a.m. test, but they said I couldn't take it because it was after 8:50."

She continued, "Ha... the test fee is 300,000 won. I asked if it was really impossible since I was already there, and they said, 'That's why you need to arrive early.' Of course, that's true, but I cleared my entire schedule for today just for this test," tagging the test administrator's account and adding, "You could at least provide parking info."

An Sunyoung's SNS story post, which has now been deleted. Screenshot from An Sunyoung's SNS.

The exam An Sunyoung was trying to take was the IELTS, administered by the global education company IDP. IELTS is an internationally recognized English proficiency test used for studying, employment, or immigration in English-speaking countries.

An Sunyoung explained that she arrived at 8:51 a.m., sharing a photo in front of the test center door while tagging the official IDP account. According to the rules, entry to the test center is restricted after 8:50 a.m. She appeared to criticize the test administrators for not allowing her in due to the one-minute difference.

After the post was released, there was a wide range of reactions from netizens. Some pointed out, "The rules have already been announced, so there can be no exceptions," and "It's natural for the standards to be strict since it's an official test," criticizing her for blaming the test administrators.

On the other hand, others offered words of comfort, saying, "Considering the expensive test fee and the cleared schedule, it's understandable to be upset," and "If the on-site parking information was insufficient, it's reasonable to express frustration."

Following the controversy, An Sunyoung deleted the story.

An Sunyoung debuted in 2000 as an 11th generation open recruitment comedian at MBC. She married a businessman in 2013 and has one son. Last year, she moved to Canada to support her son's ice hockey career and is currently living there.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.