Singer SOYOU has once again opened up about the past rumor regarding a "drunken in-flight commotion" on a U.S. airline, claiming that the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding during communication and unfair treatment.
SOYOU recently appeared on the YouTube channel hosted by comedian Lee Yong-jin, in an episode of "The Trueman Show" titled "Plastic Surgery, Rent, Dating Rumors, Guy Friends, Drunk Woman, etc... I'm Clearing Everything Up," where she personally addressed various rumors surrounding her.
During the show, SOYOU opened up about the controversy on a U.S. airline that surfaced around October 2025. "I didn't even know I was such a hot topic that day. I heard it was on the news all day," she said. She explained, "I just asked a flight attendant to check the meal time, and since it was difficult to give a long explanation in English, I simply asked if there was a Korean staff member available."
According to SOYOU, immediately after her request, a security guard suddenly approached her, leaving her confused and unable to understand the situation. "I was so scared when security suddenly showed up. I never got angry or raised my voice. The security guard must have seen that I was perfectly fine, because they just went back," she recalled.
SOYOU claimed that the unpleasant experience continued afterward. She shared that even though she temporarily moved her seat near the restroom at a flight attendant's request, she faced a high-handed attitude from another flight attendant. "I didn't do anything wrong, so I couldn't understand why they kept getting angry at me. I started feeling so upset and mistreated from that point on," she confessed.
At the time, the controversy spread rapidly after a social media user posted an eyewitness account on social media claiming that "SOYOU boarded the plane in a heavily intoxicated state." Subsequently, some media outlets cited the post, surrounding SOYOU with allegations of a "drunken in-flight commotion."
SOYOU expressed her frustration, saying, "I have never drank enough to get heavily intoxicated. If I had been drunk and caused a scene, I would have been restrained or tied down on the plane, but absolutely nothing like that happened."
In fact, the social media account that posted the eyewitness account at the time has since been deleted. SOYOU reportedly filed a formal complaint with the airline afterward, and the airline expressed its apologies and promised to prevent any recurrence.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)