"Could Jang Won-young have just lifted it slightly?" Korea Airports Corporation says it will improve procedures after complaint over 'masked departure'

[Financial News] Amid controversy over Jang Won-young's behavior at the time of her departure, which led to a complaint against Korea Airports Corporation (KAC), the corporation said it would improve its guidance methods.
According to Money Today and Sports Kyunghyang on the 16th, KAC said, "We plan to actively inform and promote passenger identity verification procedures through additional methods in the future, including posting them on our website."
The controversy stemmed from a video showing Jang Won-young departing through Gimpo International Airport on the 30th of last month.
At the time, Jang Won-young complied with a staff member's request to verify her face by lifting her hat and lowering her mask. However, after the video spread, some online users argued that she had responded insincerely to the identity check by only slightly lifting her hat and mask instead of removing them completely.
The controversy eventually escalated into a formal complaint.
On the 15th, a complaint was filed with the Security Management Department of the Gimpo Airport Operations Division at KAC, asking for clearer standards and official guidance on identity verification procedures at the international departure area of Gimpo International Airport.
The complainant pointed out that Incheon International Airport explicitly states in its security screening instructions, "Please briefly remove your mask, hat, and sunglasses to verify your identity," and argued that the corresponding guidance at Gimpo International Airport is unclear.
The complainant said, "If this is a procedure that passengers are actually required to follow, it should be easy for anyone to check," and added, "If there is a rule, please specify its name, the responsible department, and the relevant clause, and explain whether it applies equally to all passengers."
The complainant also stressed that this was "a public-interest issue raised not to target a specific celebrity, but to identify the gap between the official guidance at airports under KAC's jurisdiction and actual operating standards, and to make common standards and detailed guidelines clearer."
KAC currently applies the same identity verification procedure to all passengers at its 14 airports nationwide under the Aviation Security Standard Operating Procedures, which state that if a passenger is wearing anything that covers the face, such as a hat, sunglasses, or mask, staff should ask them to remove it before conducting identity verification. KAC plans to further strengthen these procedures going forward.
newssu@fnnews.com Kim Su-yeon Reporter