By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
Incheon International Airport said it will set up a VIP room exclusively for CEOs and businesspeople, separate from the existing one for politicians and ranking government officials.
The move follows the transition team's plan to open airports' VIP rooms for corporate officials in accordance with President-elect Lee Myung-bak's policy to treat businesspeople better.
The airport corporation plans to operate the tentatively named ``Business VIP Room'' on the second floor of the airport starting April.
Internet access and conference places will be available in the room, a corporation official said Thursday.
``Before the transition team came up with the issue, we had been planning to establish a separate VIP room for foreign investors and first and business class passengers. As the transition team hopes for the better treatment of businesspeople, we decided to extend to them the service of the new VIP room,'' a corporate official said.
He said the room would be able to accommodate 150 people, but it has not been confirmed to whom the airport would provide the privilege. ``The transition team said it would give us a list of 300 CEOs, and we'll make our own list,'' he said.
For politicians and government officials using the current VIP room located on the third floor, the airport provides immigration processes by proxy. The new business VIPs may also receive preferential treatment in immigration procedures and security checks, the official said.
``They may be able to undergo simpler and faster immigration procedure. But we need to discuss the matter with the Ministry of Construction and Transportation and customs authorities,'' he said.
The official said the airport's protocol office handled 2,700 top guest departures last year, saying they expect an additional 3,000 if the new VIP room opens.
The airport corporation CEO Lee Jae-hee said in an interview that some people may call the service unfair to ordinary people but protocol and preferential services for corporate figures is an international trend. ``In the future, we'll adopt personal protocol service for businesspeople as well,'' Lee said.