Actor Yang Mee-ra responds to baggage rule mishap as debate brews online
Actor Yang Mee-ra / Captured from her Instagram
Actor Yang Mee-ra has addressed a controversy over a portable battery mistakenly packed in her checked luggage, calling it an honest mistake amid growing debate online.
The incident began after Yang shared her chaotic July 22 departure to Canada with her two children. “I ran all over the airport yesterday, got called back because I put a battery in my suitcase, and nearly missed my boarding time while picking up duty-free items,” she wrote on social media.
Her post drew criticism for appearing to casually admit to violating airline rules. Portable batteries are prohibited in checked baggage due to fire risks and must be carried onboard.
Public reaction was split. Some criticized her for being careless, while others called it a relatable parenting mishap.
On Wednesday, Yang responded to the growing controversy, explaining, “If I stay silent, it’ll look like I knowingly packed a battery and even bragged about it, so I’m speaking up.”
She said the incident happened while frantically packing for a three-week trip with her child and that she was unaware the battery had ended up in the suitcase. “I removed it before boarding and boarded the flight without issue,” she said.
Yang added that her post may have caused misunderstandings because it lacked context. “It was my mistake not to double-check the luggage, and I’ll be more careful in the future,” she said, emphasizing that she never meant to break rules or flaunt the error.
Yang married a businessman two years her senior in 2018 and has a son and a daughter.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.