Korea Airports Corporation Responds to Controversy Over Jang Won-young's Security Screening

The Korea Airports Corporation (KAC) has issued an official statement regarding the controversy over alleged preferential treatment during the departure security screening of Jang Won-young, a member of the group IVE.

The KAC explained that the purpose of security screening is to verify the identity of a passenger by comparing their face with their passport photo, and that staff members verbally request the removal of any items covering the face.

The corporation added that no preferential treatment was given because she is a celebrity, and stated that they will actively guide passengers through the identity verification process in the future.

The controversy began after a video of Jang departing through Gimpo International Airport on May 30 was released.

In the video, a security officer requested a facial verification, but Jang complied only by slightly lowering her mask while keeping her hat on.

Following the release of the video, the issue escalated beyond a debate over Jang's attitude to criticism that Gimpo Airport’s lax departure screening may have provided preferential treatment to a specific celebrity.

A citizen who observed the situation even filed an official complaint with the KAC's Security Management Department.

The complaint pointed out that while Incheon International Airport explicitly requires passengers to briefly remove masks and hats for identity verification, the standards at Gimpo Airport are ambiguous.

The citizen also demanded confirmation on whether the same standards are being applied to both celebrities and non-celebrities.

In fact, the guidelines on the Gimpo Airport website only mention the presentation of identification and boarding passes, lacking specific regulations regarding the removal of clothing or accessories.

This differs from the guidelines at Incheon Airport, which clearly state, "Please briefly remove masks and hats to verify your identity."

A minor controversy over a celebrity's departure behavior is now leading to calls for improvements to airport guidance systems and regulations.

Reported by Kim Ji-hye | Video by Jung Yong-hee | Graphics by Lee Jung-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.