![Broadcaster An Seon-yeong. [Newsis]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/10/news-p.v1.20260529.7387e427571549cba119011b53243d02_P1.jpg)
Broadcaster An Seon-yeong publicly criticized the organizer of an English proficiency test after being turned away for arriving one minute late — then apologized the following day.
On Wednesday, An posted an apology on her Instagram Story, writing that arriving late to the test center without fully familiarizing herself with the rules "was entirely my fault." She also apologized to test officials for handling the situation by the book.
Earlier, on Tuesday, An had shared her experience on social media while attempting to sit the International English Language Testing System, known as IELTS.
She wrote that she had circled a one-way street eight times looking for parking, and that after finally finding a spot and reaching the venue before the 9 a.m. exam, she was told she could not enter because it was past 8:50 a.m. She directly tagged the official account of test administrator IDP in her post. She also wrote that the 300,000-won (about $198) fee was no small sum, and that when she asked whether an exception could be made given that she had shown up, a staff member replied, "That's why you should always arrive early."
IELTS enforces a strict entry cutoff to allow time for identity verification and other pre-exam procedures. The organizer's website states that entry is not permitted after 8:50 a.m. for morning sessions and after 1:20 p.m. for afternoon sessions, and advises test-takers to use public transportation and arrive with plenty of time to spare.
Online commenters were largely unsympathetic. "A rule is a rule, even if it's just one minute," one wrote. Others said the post came across as a sense of celebrity entitlement, while some noted that the real issue was not the tardiness itself but An's decision to shift blame onto the organizer afterward.
An ultimately deleted the original post before issuing her apology. "I posted out of frustration in the heat of the moment," she wrote, adding that she had since concluded the post was rash and removed it herself.
An relocated to Canada last year to support her son's ice hockey career and has been traveling between Korea and Canada for business. Her IELTS attempt appears to be connected to her life in Canada.
An made her debut as an MBC comedy talent in 2000, joining the broadcaster's 11th class of recruited comedians.
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