Incheon airport chief addresses controversy over security for actor Byeon Woo-seok

Actor Byun Woo-seok, who was embroiled in a controversy over excessive security measures, returns to South Korea through Incheon International Airport, Tuesday, following an Asia fan meeting event in Hong Kong. Captured from Instagram

By KTimes

• Published Jul 19, 2024 8:20 AM KST
• Updated Jul 19, 2024 4:57 PM KST

Lee Hag-jae, the president of Incheon International Airport Corporation, addressed controversy surrounding the excessive security measures for actor Byun Woo-seok, saying, "This was an unforeseen situation. No private security firm has acted so absurdly or excessively in the past."

During an audit by the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Committee, Rep. Jeon Yong-gi of the opposition Democratic Party asked who was responsible for the excessive security measures for actor Byun Woo-seok and what shortcomings were present at the airport.

Addressing the issue, Lee acknowledged, "This is the first time an incident of this nature has occurred since the airport’s inception, and we did not foresee or prepare for it."

Lee added, "Hundreds of celebrities pass through Incheon International Airport each year, but there has never been a case where a private security firm has overreacted as they did this time," adding, "No private security firm has ever acted so absurdly."

Byeon departed through the airport on July 12 to attend the Asia Fan Meeting Tour in Hong Kong. When fans gathered at the airport to see the actor, security guards controlled the gate and shined flashlights on the faces of airport users, sparking controversy.

It was even reported that as Byeon entered the lounge, the security personnel inspected the passports and boarding passes of other lounge users.

Regarding the security firm's unauthorized control of the gate, he said, "It was a ridiculous situation, and we acknowledge our responsibility for not detecting it sooner."

He also denounced the actions of the security personnel — like checking other passengers' passports and boarding passes and using flash photography to interfere with picture-taking — as “illegal activities.”

"The private security firm controlling the gate without permission was clearly wrong. We will hold them accountable and implement measures to prevent a recurrence," Lee said.

He promised to come up with specific countermeasures, including establishing behavioral guidelines for private security firms within the airport in consultation with the police and increasing penalties for violations.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times.