Zhang Yuan breaks 2-year SNS silence on the exact anniversary of her last post

Zhang Yuan is back online. On July 17, she posted new profile photos and a brief "오랜만이야" (long time no see) to her personal SNS account. Exactly two years had passed since her last post on the same date in 2024.

The timing catches the eye. Her 2024 exit followed a string of remarks that sparked sharp backlash in Korea. She suggested visiting Gyeongbokgung dressed in Ming and Song dynasty emperor's robes "as if an emperor were inspecting a tributary state." She claimed that "most Koreans' ancestors are Chinese." She also argued that a scene in IVE's music video evoked 만인갱—a mass grave site associated with Japanese colonial-era atrocities. (Even at the time, that last one was widely dismissed as a reach.)

When the controversy broke, Zhang Yuan said she had "only expressed friendly and objective opinions" and that Korean media had reported only excerpts. All her Korean schedules were cancelled due to the online backlash. Then she disappeared.

Zhang Yuan first made her name in Korea as China's representative on the JTBC panel show 비정상회담 (Abnormal Summit), where she was a fan favourite. Whether the July 17 return date was deliberate or coincidental remains unclear.