Ayane’s daycare candy issue began with an SNS post about a candy wrapper found in her daughter Ruhee’s nursery bag and later developed into a wider debate over daycare snacks, parenting standards, and public criticism of childcare staff. The Ayane candy controversy has since been followed by clarifications from Ayane, an apologetic message from Lee Ji-hoon, and reports that the misunderstanding with the daycare had been addressed.
OSEN, carried by Chosun Ilbo, reported that Ayane posted on May 7 about finding the candy wrapper in Ruhee’s daycare bag. The post was then interpreted by some readers as a public criticism of the daycare, although Ayane later said she did not intend to complain about the institution or its teachers and was surprised by the fact that her child had eaten candy.1
Ayane Daycare Candy Post And Online Reaction

The first stage of the controversy centered on how Ayane’s post was read online. Reports described the post as being taken by some users as a direct criticism of the daycare’s snack practices, particularly because the issue involved a young child and a childcare setting. TV Chosun reported that Lee Ji-hoon referred to the matter on May 9 in an SNS post that included a photo of Ruhee, while the online debate continued over whether the daycare had been publicly singled out.2
Sports Donga reported on May 10 that Lee Ji-hoon later posted an apologetic message after the response to Ayane’s comments. The outlet characterized his message as an apology connected to the criticism that the family had appeared to express public dissatisfaction over the daycare snack issue.3
The discussion did not remain limited to whether candy should be given to a young child. Sports Kyunghyang reported on May 11 that the controversy widened into criticism of how a celebrity family’s SNS post can affect a daycare or its staff. The report said Ayane received criticism that she should have considered the public reach of her account and the possibility that the post could be covered as news, and that she apologized in relation to that point.4
That element became important because the issue involved not only a parent’s food preference but also the visibility of a public figure’s family. The reports do not state that the daycare was formally accused of misconduct. Instead, the available accounts show that online reaction formed around whether the post functioned as a public callout, even if Ayane later said that was not her intention.
Clarification After Contact With The Daycare
Seoul Shinmun reported that Ayane said on May 10 she had contacted the daycare and cleared up the misunderstanding. The daycare side reportedly explained that vitamin candy is sometimes given when children are fussy, and that the misunderstanding may have occurred because this practice had not been explained in advance.5
Ayane’s explanation, as summarized in multiple reports, was that she had not set out to attack the daycare. OSEN reported that she framed the matter as one of parental choice rather than a demand placed on other parents or institutions.1 Seoul Shinmun also reported that she said the post had not been uploaded from the beginning as an attempt to target the daycare.5
The clarification narrowed the dispute to a communication issue between a parent and a childcare provider. Based on the source material, the confirmed sequence is that Ayane learned about the candy through Ruhee’s daycare bag, the post drew criticism after being read as a public complaint, and Ayane later said she had spoken with the daycare and resolved the misunderstanding.
Seoul Shinmun placed the episode within a broader parenting discussion about low-salt and low-sugar approaches for infants and toddlers. The same report also noted the practical difficulty of maintaining fully salt-free or sugar-free standards in outside childcare settings such as daycare.5 That broader context helps explain why the post drew attention, but it does not add any confirmed finding that the daycare violated a stated rule.
Japan And Korea Snack Culture Cited Later
TV Chosun reported on May 12 that Ayane gave an additional explanation on May 10 involving differences between Japanese and Korean daycare snack culture. According to the report, she said there is an atmosphere in Japan in which giving candy to children under age three is discouraged, and she clarified that she was not saying the Korean daycare had done something wrong.6
The same TV Chosun report said Ayane added an apology to daycare teachers.6 This later explanation presented the issue as a cultural and communication gap rather than a claim of wrongdoing by the daycare. It also aligned with the earlier clarification that her reaction was based on surprise over the candy itself.

The Ayane daycare candy issue remains a case shaped largely by SNS interpretation, parental food standards, and the public visibility of celebrity families. The available reports show that Ayane’s post about Ruhee’s daycare bag prompted criticism, Lee Ji-hoon posted an apology, and Ayane later explained that she had resolved the misunderstanding with the daycare while clarifying that she did not intend to criticize Korean childcare practices.
References
- ‘이지훈♥’ 아야네, '어린이집 사탕' 논란에 "강요 안해, 엄마의 선택" 해명 (OSEN / 조선일보, 2026-05-09)
- "어린이집서 사탕 먹여 속상해"…이지훈 아내 아야네 어린이집 공개 저격에 '시끌' (TV조선, 2026-05-10)
- 이지훈 “유난 떨어 미안” 어린이집 사탕 불만 드러냈다 사과 (스포츠동아, 2026-05-10)
- ‘이지훈♥’ 아야네, 어린이집 사탕 불만 ‘공개저격’ 역풍…제2의 문정원 사태? (스포츠경향, 2026-05-11)
- “사탕 주다니 충격” 어린이집 저격 논란에 사과…‘무염맘’ 유난이라고요? (서울신문, 2026-05-10)
- 이지훈 아내 "日 어린이집에선 사탕 금지…韓 문화에 놀란 것" (TV조선, 2026-05-12)