Dozens Enter South Korea Without Passport Control After Airport Bus Blunder

A security breach occurred at Gimpo International Airport, where dozens of international passengers arriving from Japan entered South Korea without going through immigration inspection, it has been confirmed.

According to the aviation industry and other sources, Korean Air Flight KE2106, departing from Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan, on June 7, arrived at Gimpo Airport at around 11:30 AM.

Passengers boarded several shuttle buses to move to the international terminal, but one bus 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 path of international passengers.

The passengers mixed with domestic arrivals from other flights and walked into the terminal.

International arrivals are required to undergo immigration clearance, but this entire process was skipped.

It was reported that Korean Air only became aware of the situation after some passengers waiting for baggage at the domestic terminal notified airport staff, saying, "It seems we came to the domestic arrivals by mistake."

The airline searched for passengers who were in the domestic baggage claim area and other spots, 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 location was confirmed late in the afternoon, returning to Gimpo Airport about nine hours after the incident occurred to clear immigration.

Another passenger, who was heading to Incheon International Airport, also returned to Gimpo Airport to complete the immigration procedures.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport concluded that Korean Air failed to properly implement its own security plan during the ramp bus transportation process and imposed a fine of 10 million won on the airline.

Korean Air stated, "We take this matter very seriously and will re-examine 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 Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.