EXCLUSIVE: Ahn Sun-young Calls Out IELTS Organizer After 8:51 a.m. Arrival Costs Her ₩300,000

Broadcaster Ahn Sun-young missed her IELTS exam by one minute on June 9 and went public with her frustration, tagging IDP's official account in the post.

Ahn wrote on social media that she circled a one-way street eight times looking for parking, finally found a spot, and arrived at the test center at 8:51 a.m. — one minute after IDP's hard cutoff of 8:50 a.m. for the 9:00 a.m. exam. She was turned away at the door and forfeited the ₩300,000 registration fee. When she asked whether an exception could be made given that she was physically present, a staff member told her, "That's why you should always come early." Ahn acknowledged the reply was technically correct, but added that she had cleared her entire schedule for the day and that the exam center could at minimum have included parking information in its materials.

Per IDP's official website, test-takers must complete ID verification between 8:15 and 8:50 a.m.; entry is barred after 8:50 a.m. with no exceptions.

Ahn debuted in 2000 as an MBC-recruited comedian. She married a businessman in 2013 and has one son. She relocated to Canada last year to accompany her son, who plays competitive ice hockey, and has said she travels back to Seoul monthly to manage her business and care for her mother, who has dementia.

IELTS administered by IDP is widely used in South Korea for emigration and overseas study applications. The ₩300,000 (~$220 USD) fee is non-refundable regardless of circumstance.

literally "sniper shot"; used in Korean celebrity culture for a pointed public callout directed at a specific target