Park Soo-hong, Korean Air: Not 'Re-boarding' but 'Revocation of Disembarkation'..Not a Privilege [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Broadcaster Park Soo-hong and influencer Kim Da-ye sparked controversy while traveling to Guam with their 22-month-old daughter, Jae-i. Although it was initially reported that the couple disembarked from the aircraft due to their daughter's intense crying and then re-boarded, this is inaccurate. Instead, they expressed their intention to disembark but, once the baby calmed down, revoked their decision to get off the plane ('하거 번복', revocation of disembarkation). Consequently, it was confirmed that Park Soo-hong's family luggage was removed from the aircraft's cargo hold and then reloaded, causing a delay in the flight's departure.

Recently, a post by a passenger who boarded a Korean Air flight to Guam on the 23rd appeared on an online community platform. According to the post, the Park Soo-hong family boarded Korean Air Flight KE415 from Incheon International Airport bound for Guam on the 23rd. The poster stated that as Jae-i, Park Soo-hong's 22-month-old daughter, continued crying on the plane, the family requested a voluntary disembarkation. Voluntary disembarkation refers to passengers requesting to leave the aircraft due to personal reasons after boarding.

According to fellow passengers, the Park Soo-hong couple traveled with the Lee Yong-sik family. The Park family, seated in business class, attempted to soothe their crying daughter by moving to the back of the economy section, but when she continued to cry, they requested a voluntary disembarkation and subsequently apologized to other business class passengers. A passenger seated nearby even posted footage of Park Soo-hong apologizing on a travel cafe. The released video clearly captures the baby's sharp cries.

However, passengers seated in economy class on that flight stated they only learned after reading news reports that their flight was delayed due to the Park family's voluntary disembarkation claim. Another parent traveling with a child in economy class remarked, "We waited for an hour without knowing what was happening. Everyone waited because we were told they would get off, but then they said they wouldn't. While I understand the awkwardness of a crying baby, it was difficult for the children in economy to wait that long." The parent conveyed their difficult feelings at the time while traveling with their child.

When the incident sparked controversy, Park Soo-hong issued an apology via his personal account on the 26th. Park stated, "Recently, a delay occurred during our flight departure due to my family. This caused significant inconvenience by taking away many people's precious time and also caused damage to airline staff. I sincerely apologize with my head bowed."

Park continued, "Immediately after boarding, the child was crying so intensely that we couldn't even sit down, leading to a hasty and immature decision. Concerned that the child's crying would cause greater inconvenience to passengers during the long flight, I initially conveyed our intention to disembark to the cabin crew. While waiting on board, the child stopped crying, and we expressed our intention to re-board, but we failed to realize this could significantly delay security checks and other procedures. This was entirely due to my ignorance of aviation-related procedures, leaving no room for justification." He added, "Once again, I bow my head to deeply apologize to the passengers and airline staff who suffered significant harm due to my shortcomings."

Neither the released 'Korean Air Passenger Transport Terms' nor general passenger manuals specify concrete details regarding 'revocation of disembarkation.' However, under the International Aviation Security Act, if a passenger expresses an intention to disembark voluntarily, their luggage must be removed. If the passenger later revokes this decision, the airline may either accept or reject it at its discretion.

According to Korean Air's statement to a media outlet, company regulations allow passengers to withdraw their intention to disembark and maintain their boarding status if they have not actually opened the aircraft door and exited the plane. If only the intention to disembark was communicated before the actual disembarkation, whether the passenger is allowed to board or rejected depends on the captain's and airline's discretion.

In this case, luggage was removed from outside the aircraft, but since the passengers did not actually disembark, revoking the disembarkation was possible. In the Park family's case, there was no disturbance or force involved; it was an awkward situation caused by a crying baby, which is why such a 'revocation of disembarkation' was accepted on-site. It is interpreted that the airline made this decision because allowing the Park family to disembark would have caused further flight delays.

Meanwhile, as Park Soo-hong bowed his head and issued an official apology, it is noted that the controversy has not fully subsided despite being clarified as a 'revocation of disembarkation' rather than 're-boarding.'

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original