Police investigating Gimpo 'suicide flight' threat to protest Korean Air-Asiana merger

Police are investigating an online threat by a person claiming to be an airline captain who said they would carry out a "suicide flight" at Gimpo International Airport in protest against the merger of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines.

An Asiana Airlines plane passes in front of a Korean Air aircraft on a runway at Incheon International Airport on Feb. 13, 2024. [NEWS1]

Police are investigating an online threat by a person claiming to be an airline captain who said they would carry out a "suicide flight" at Gimpo International Airport in protest against the merger of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines.

The threat appeared on Blind, an anonymous online community used by office workers, according to police and aviation industry officials on Monday. The post included a marked location at western Seoul's Gimpo Airport and expressed anger over the planned integration of the country’s two biggest airlines, prompting a report to authorities. The threat also included a stabbing attack.

"We have received a report of the incident and are checking the details," said an official at Korea Airports Corporation, a state-run airport operator.

Police at Gimpo Airport said they are investigating whether the person who wrote the post is actually a captain or an employee of either airline.

The two airlines are preparing to launch an integrated carrier next year and have been gradually unifying service manuals and operating standards.

But recent disputes between employees of the two companies have spilled onto Blind, highlighting ongoing friction as the merger process continues.

Korean Air completed its acquisition of Asiana Airlines on Dec. 12, 2024, buying about 131.57 million newly issued shares to secure a 63.9 percent stake and formally making Asiana a subsidiary.

A day later, the flag carrier carried out executive-level reshuffles across key areas, including safety, personnel, finance, operations and maintenance, and dispatched some executives to Asiana as it moved to establish a new management structure.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY LEE YOUNG-KEUN [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]