IVE member An Yu Jin has gone viral after sharing an unexpected story. Despite being the advertising model for a Hana Bank card, she was denied issuance because she was “not an eligible applicant.”
On January 8, online communities circulated An Yu Jin’s message from the fan communication platform Bubble. She revealed that after hearing a “Yujin Card” was being released by Hana Bank, she asked, “I want one too. How can I get it?” only to be told that she did not qualify for issuance. She expressed her disappointment.
The card An Yu Jin attempted to apply for is the Hana Nara Sarang Card, a special-purpose debit card issued exclusively to those with military service obligations. The card is designed for active-duty soldiers or those preparing to enlist and is used for receiving military pay while also serving as an identification card during service. As a result, civilians are not eligible, placing An Yu Jin outside the qualification criteria despite her role as the card’s promotional model.
Eligibility for the Nara Sarang Card is strictly defined. Applicants must be under the age of 38 and fall into one of the following categories: individuals who have undergone or are scheduled to undergo military physical examinations, active-duty soldiers, social service workers, or discharged reservists approved by the Military Manpower Administration. Officer cadets and reservists, however, are excluded from eligibility.
The card offers practical, military-focused benefits, including discounts and cashback at on-base PX stores, transportation card functionality, and convenience store discounts. Depending on the issuing bank, the total monthly benefits are reported to be worth up to approximately 150,000 to 155,000 KRW (103 USD to 107 USD).
However, users must also meet specific conditions to fully utilize these benefits. For example, to receive up to 100,000 KRW (68.89 USD) in PX cashback per month, purchases must meet minimum spending thresholds, such as transactions of at least 30,000 KRW (20.67 USD). To qualify for combined discounts totaling 50,000 KRW (34.43 USD), users must spend at least 1,000,000 KRW (668.52 USD) per month. Given the generous benefits, careful attention to monthly spending requirements and transaction conditions is necessary.
The irony of An Yu Jin promoting a card she herself cannot obtain quickly fueled online reactions. Netizens commented, “They should release it as merch without the functions,” and “It’s definitely something people would want to collect.” Others joked, “If even the model can’t get it, it really is a soldier-only card,” while playful remarks like “Just enlist if you want one” and “Is this a re-enlistment campaign?”
Other comments include: “This is a perfect promotion,” and “The story itself is better advertising than the card,” also surfaced. Additional reactions included, “They should keep the functions but release a commemorative version,” “The physical card design is actually pretty,” and “Only people who’ve served would truly relate to this."
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