Official Complaint Filed Over Jang Won-young's 'Airport Attitude' Controversy: "Should Celebrities Be Exempt from Removing Hats?"

It has been confirmed that an official complaint has been filed requesting clear standards for identity verification at airports, following an 'attitude controversy' involving Jang Won-young of the idol group IVE during her departure from Gimpo International Airport.

On June 15, a complainant submitted a formal request to the Gimpo Airport Operation Division of the Korea Airports Corporation, demanding that the procedures and official guidelines for identity verification at international departure gates be made more specific.

The complaint targets an incident on May 30, when Jang was departing for Shanghai, China. During the identity check, Jang briefly lowered her mask with one hand while keeping her hat on, then immediately pulled it back up, sparking controversy.

The complainant reportedly questioned whether the same standards applied to airports under the Korea Airports Corporation, such as Gimpo, as those at Incheon International Airport, where passengers are explicitly instructed to remove masks, hats, and sunglasses during identity verification.

In particular, the complainant demanded to know "whether the same standards are applied to all passengers equally, regardless of their social status, such as politicians or celebrities."

The complainant also pointed out that the lack of clear, detailed regulations is increasing the burden on airport staff.

Under the current Enforcement Decree of the Aviation Security Act, airport operators are required to verify a passenger's identity by comparing their boarding pass with their identification.

While the law allows for additional verification through follow-up questions, it does not specify detailed regulations regarding the extent to which items like masks or hats must be removed.

However, some have argued that the 'attitude controversy' is a misunderstanding, noting that "in footage from a different angle released later, Jang can be seen handing over her passport with both hands and cooperating fully with the facial verification process."

The Korea Airports Corporation stated that it will review the complaint and process it by June 23.

Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Hong Jin-young | Graphics by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.