South Korean actor Byeon Woo Seok and his agency have found themselves at the center of a controversy after a recent incident at the airport.
According to reports, the security staff accompanying the Lovely Runner actor was involved in an unusual and potentially inappropriate inspection of passengers’ passports.
The security team received criticism after blocking the entrance to Incheon International Airport and randomly inspecting passengers’ passports and boarding passes.
In response, Incheon International Airport Corporation, the airport’s security team, has distanced themselves from the incident, stating, “We can’t keep track of every action taken by private companies arbitrarily.”
On July 12, Byeon Woo Seok arrived at Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 2 departure hall, Gate 2, for a flight to Hong Kong. His private security team then closed the public entrance for approximately 10 minutes, blocking other passengers.
The security company explained that they had coordinated with airport security to prevent crowd-related accidents during the celebrity’s departure.
Later, the ICN Airport representative refuted claims that the private security company consulted with them about closing the gate.
After that, Byeon Woo Seok, accompanied by private security, checked in at the Korean Air premium counter, went through security and entered the duty-free area. The security team then blocked the entrance to the Prestige Class Lounge, randomly checking passengers’ passports and boarding passes without legal basis.
Incheon Airport confirmed that this inspection was not coordinated with them, and airport security guards acknowledged they lack the authority to check passenger IDs.
The Immigration Control Act specifies that only immigration officials can conduct departure screening, yet the private security team took it upon themselves to do so.
Varo Entertainment and Security company has apologized for their inappropriate behavior.
The actions taken by his private security team at Incheon Airport were widely seen as a clear abuse of power.