A security lapse occurred at Gimpo International Airport, where dozens of international passengers arriving from Japan on a Korean Air flight entered the country without going through immigration screening.
According to the aviation industry and other sources, Korean Air Flight KE2106, departing from Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan, arrived at Gimpo Airport at around 11:30 a.m. on June 7.
Passengers boarded multiple shuttle buses to the international terminal. However, one of the buses carrying about 40 Korean and foreign passengers mistakenly dropped them off at the domestic terminal.
At the time, there were no staff members at the domestic terminal to control the movement of international passengers.
The passengers mixed with domestic arrivals from other flights and entered the terminal building.
While international arrivals are required to undergo immigration clearance, this entire process was skipped.
It was reportedly only after some passengers waiting for their luggage at the domestic terminal informed an airport staff member that they seemed to have arrived at the domestic side by mistake that Korean Air became aware of the situation.
The airline staff searched for the passengers in the domestic baggage claim area and other locations, moved them back to the international terminal, and had them go through immigration.
However, five passengers had already left the airport without undergoing immigration screening.
One foreign passenger traveled as far as a region south of Gyeonggi Province before their whereabouts were confirmed late in the afternoon, returning to Gimpo Airport about nine hours after the incident to undergo immigration clearance.
Another passenger, who was heading to Incheon International Airport, also returned to Gimpo Airport to complete the entry procedures.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport concluded that the airline failed to properly implement its own security plan during the ramp bus transport process and imposed a fine of 10 million won on Korean Air.
Korean Air stated, "We take this matter very seriously and will re-examine our on-site operational procedures," adding, "We will review necessary measures to prevent similar inconveniences from recurring."
Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Graphics by Lee Jung-joo | Produced by SBS Digital News
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