Incheon Airport promises preventative action against celebrities' excessive security measures

Incheon International Airport promised preventative action against celebrities' excessive security measures at the airport, following backlash caused by actor Byeon Woo-seok's private security team last week.

Actor Byeon Woo-seok [NEWS1]

Incheon International Airport promised preventative action against celebrities' excessive security measures at the airport, following backlash caused by actor Byeon Woo-seok's private security team last week.

“This is the first time something like this has happened since the airport opened, so we couldn’t foresee it and didn’t prepare countermeasures,” said Lee Hag-jae, president of Incheon Airport Corporation, during a general meeting of the National Assembly's Land Infrastructure and Transport Committee on Wednesday.

Byeon’s private security firm came under fire on Friday for “excessive security” when the actor departed for Hong Kong from Incheon Airport on Friday for his Asia fan meeting tour "Summer Letter." Security guards blocked gates, flashed lights at passengers in the airport lounge and arbitrarily checked some passengers' tickets and passports.

A representative from the security firm stated at the time that blocking the gate and ticket inspections were conducted "in cooperation with airport security, not as an independent decision or action."

The airport operator partially denied the security team's claim, saying that although it sometimes controls one of the 14 bus drop-off gates in Terminal 1 for safety when there is a risk of crowding, the arbitrary passport and ticket checks were not consulted beforehand.

Lee Hag-jae, president of Incheon Airport Corporation listens to a question during the general meeting of the National Assembly's Land Infrastructure and Transport Committee on July 17 [NEWS1]

The controversial “excessive security,” however, occurred in Terminal 2. Incheon Airport updated its response on Monday afternoon — three days after the incident — that there had been no cooperation with the security company on blocking the gates. Local media reports speculated that the airport didn’t know where the incident happened until the moment they put out the updated response.

Airports are designated as "important national facilities" under Chapter One, Article Two of the United Defense Act, alongside public institutions, ports, harbors and major industrial facilities.

When asked by a National Assembly representative whether the airport consulted with the private security firm beforehand, Lee answered that private firms do not consult with Incheon Airport but with the police, saying that the airport "gets notified by the police as well."

"Hundreds of celebrities depart [overseas through Incheon Airport] every year, and there have been no cases of private security firms overreacting and behaving inappropriately like this,” said Lee. “We will use this incident to develop countermeasures.”

"It was an illegal act and an absurd situation. We are responsible for not detecting it," said Lee. "We need to recheck [the exact time the gate was blocked], but it is clear that controlling the gate without permission was wrong, and we will take firm measures against those responsible. We will also develop measures to make sure it doesn't reoccur.”

"We will create rules for the behavior of private security firms within the airport in consultation with the police and find ways to strengthen penalties for problematic behavior," said Lee.

Incheon Airport Corporation is considering filing charges against Byeon’s private security firm. The corporation is reviewing whether the security firm’s actions, such as closing landside entry doors and checking airline tickets, constitute abuse of authority or coercion. If the actions do qualify as such, it plans to proceed with legal measures.

The Incheon Airport Police are investigating three security guards from Byeon’s private security firm on charges including assault, coercion and obstruction of business.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]