Recently, female singer Jang Won Young of IVE group became the focus of controversy on social networks after a video recording the identity verification process of her at Gimpo International Airport (Korea).
In the video, when Jang Won Young checked out at Gimpo International Airport, the female singer was entangled in opposing opinions about her attitude towards the staff.
Many opinions suggest that Jang Won Young was reminded many times but only slightly pulled out her mask and hat for 1-2 seconds, not revealing her entire face, causing the public to question whether that superficial action had enough time to verify her identity.
Not to mention, Won Young's attitude towards the staff was also commented by many viewers as unfriendly and arrogant.
The controversy then expanded to the issue of "celebrities enjoying privileges".
On June 15, a complaint was sent to Korea Airports Corporation (KAC) through the national petition system, requesting clarification of procedure standards and having an official guiding document on identity verification at the international departure gate of Gimpo International Airport.
The complainant also requested thorough verification of whether security standards are being applied uniformly, without discrimination against all passengers, regardless of public awareness or social status such as politicians, businessmen, famous artists or not.
Faced with the wave of controversy, Korea Airports Corporation issued a notice stating that it will improve guidance on the identity verification process.
Airports Corporation of Korea emphasized that identification checks are carried out uniformly for all passengers at 14 airports nationwide according to aviation security regulations.
However, the wave of criticism against Jang Won Young has not completely subsided. On Korean online communities, there are posts recording thousands of controversial comments.
Previously, in July 2024, the incident related to actor Byeon Woo Seok at Incheon International Airport once caused public uproar.
At that time, after Byeon Woo Seok appeared, the bodyguards following him arbitrarily blocked the escalator, not allowing anyone to enter for a period of time, causing inconvenience to passengers in general.
Byeon Woo Seok's bodyguards even checked other passengers' passports and boarding passes without any legal authority. In addition, to prevent taking pictures, they also flashed lights into the eyes of nearby people when Byeon Woo Seok entered the waiting room.
The incident sparked controversy over "excessive protection" and "famous people abusing power" at the airport. The issue became so noisy that it was brought up for discussion at the South Korean National Assembly meeting.
Mr. Lee Hag Jae, Chairman of Incheon Airport Corporation, affirmed: "This is the first time such an incident has occurred since the airport opened," and declared that the airport will strengthen control to avoid similar cases.
Although Byeon Woo Seok was not the one who directly made the mistake, his indifference to the bodyguards' actions towards the passengers was heavily criticized. Many people said he "had star disease".
After that, the court sentenced a bodyguard in the case and the security company to 1 million won each, for violating the Law on Security Service Business of South Korea.
In October 2024, Incheon Airport proposed to allow celebrities to use a separate entrance to reduce jostling and unsafety due to crowded fans.
However, this plan faced opposition because it was seen as a privilege for celebrities and created a feeling of discrimination against ordinary passengers, so it was eventually rejected.
