Incheon Airport Vows Crackdown on Celebrity Security Overreach

Incheon International Airport has promised to take preventative action against excessive security measures by celebrities, following a recent incident involving actor Byeon Woo-seok's private security team. The airport's president acknowledged that this was the first such case since the airport's opening, and vowed to develop countermeasures to ensure it does not happen again.

Safeguarding the Airport Experience for All

Byeon Woo-seok's Controversial Security Measures

Byeon's private security firm came under fire last week for their "excessive security" measures when the actor departed for Hong Kong from Incheon Airport for his Asia fan meeting tour. Security guards were accused of blocking gates, flashing lights at passengers in the airport lounge, and arbitrarily checking some passengers' tickets and passports. The security firm claimed these actions were taken in cooperation with airport security, but the airport operator partially denied this, stating that while they sometimes control one of the 14 bus drop-off gates in Terminal 1 for safety reasons, the arbitrary passport and ticket checks were not consulted beforehand.

Incheon Airport's Response and Accountability

Incheon Airport Corporation president Lee Hag-jae acknowledged that the "excessive security" incident occurred in Terminal 2, and that the airport did not know the exact location until they issued an updated response three days later. Lee stated that private security firms do not consult with the airport, but rather with the police, and that the airport is merely notified by the police. He admitted that the airport was responsible for not detecting the incident sooner, and that controlling the gate without permission was wrong. The airport corporation is now considering filing charges against Byeon's private security firm, and the Incheon Airport Police are investigating three security guards on charges including assault, coercion, and obstruction of business.

Strengthening Regulations and Penalties

Incheon Airport Corporation has vowed to create new rules governing the behavior of private security firms within the airport, in consultation with the police. They also plan to find ways to strengthen penalties for problematic behavior, in an effort to prevent such incidents from occurring again. Lee acknowledged that hundreds of celebrities depart Incheon Airport every year, and that this was the first case of a private security firm overreacting and behaving inappropriately. The airport is determined to use this incident as a learning experience and to develop effective countermeasures to safeguard the airport experience for all travelers.