The Jangsu County Office, which showed communication errors during the casting process for the 'Jangsu Hanwoo and Apple Festival' opening performance, has released its final position.
On the 15th, Jangsu County Office stated via official SNS, "The casting of Girls' Generation's Taeyeon for the opening performance of the 19th Jangsu Hanwoo and Apple Festival ultimately fell through, but the candidate list and poster drafts were leaked externally, causing unintended disappointment to local residents and Taeyeon's fans."
The Jangsu County Office added, "We will take this opportunity to address any deficiencies in festival proceedings and ensure such incidents do not recur in the preparation for the 19th Jangsu Hanwoo and Apple Festival."
Previously, on the day before, a poster was shared through SNS and online communities claiming that Girls' Generation's Taeyeon would participate in the upcoming September 'Jangsu Hanwoo and Apple Festival,' generating buzz. With a poster prominently featuring Taeyeon's name and face, some netizens heatedly reacted after sharing direct messages (DM) confirming with Jangsu County that Taeyeon was indeed cast.
However, the stance from Taeyeon's side was different. On the 14th, her agency SM Entertainment stated to OSEN, "Taeyeon will not perform at the event. She has not even received a casting proposal," adding, "We hope for no confusion among the fans."
This seems to have been a case of confusion with another person sharing the same name. It was revealed that trot singer Kim Taeyeon, who shares the same name, announced her participation in the festival. Kim Taeyeon's agency, K Tigers Entertainment, clarified to OSEN, "We received word from the agency that the casting was indeed confirmed after discussions with the county office."
However, a Jangsu County official stated through various media that it was correct to have cast Girls' Generation's Taeyeon, but it ultimately fell through, and there seemed to be a misunderstanding during the casting process. They mentioned that the claim regarding trot singer Kim Taeyeon's participation was not true. Even in the statement released today (15th), they did not clarify much about trot singer Kim Taeyeon's appearance.
In particular, discontent among netizens has surfaced regarding the county's additional statement. After Girls' Generation's Taeyeon’s side stated that they had never received an official casting contact, the expression "final casting fell through" was perceived as implying that Taeyeon rejected the casting, and it was pointed out that without clarifying the casting for trot singer Kim Taeyeon, the county's handling left Kim Taeyeon in a difficult situation.
Meanwhile, the '2025 Jangsu Hanwoo and Apple Festival' will take place from September 18 to 21 at Uiam Park and Nuri Park in Jangsu County.
[Photo] OSEN DB, Jangsu County Office SNS.
[OSEN]