Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Bullet found in luggage of Korean Air flight attendant bound for Bangkok
This July 2022 photo shows a Korean Air flight. A bullet was found inside a piece of carry-on luggage belonging to a Korean Air flight attendant who was bound for Bangkok on Tuesday. Courtesy of Korean Air
By Jung Min-ho
A bullet has been found inside a piece of carry-on luggage belonging to a Korean Air flight attendant who was bound for Thailand.
According to police on Thursday, a 7.62-millimeter-caliber live bullet was found in her bag at Incheon International Airport during baggage inspection on Tuesday when she was preparing to board a flight to Bangkok at 7:30 a.m.
An airport explosive ordnance disposal team was immediately deployed to collect the bullet.
The flight attendant recognized that the bullet belonged to her, saying that she found it somewhere when she was a child. However, she said she was unaware that it was inside the bag.
After police and the company concluded that she wasn't deliberately trying to smuggle the bullet into Thailand, they allowed her to board the flight for work. Police said they would question her again when she returns.
Under Thai law, it is mandatory for everyone to obtain authorization prior to the possession, use, sale and import of firearms. Violations of the rules and regulations set out in the law could bring serious consequences, including imprisonment and the death penalty, according to the Thailand Law Forum, which provides an online English-language resource concerning the laws of Thailand.
It was not the first time that a bullet had been found on one of the company's planes. On March 10, two live bullets were found under a passenger seat on a Korean Air plane about to take off to fly to Manila, the Philippines, causing more than 200 passengers to evacuate the aircraft.