"Was He Given Special Treatment Because He Was Park Soo-hong?" Korean Air Explains the Truth Behind the 'Reboarding Privilege' Controversy

[Financial News] Broadcaster Park Soo-hong issued a public apology after controversy erupted over a more than one-hour delay to a Guam-bound international flight, following his decision to get off the plane with his family and then reverse that decision. The airline said it had responded strictly according to procedure and denied that any special treatment was given.

According to the aviation industry and online communities on the 26th, Korean Air Flight KE415, which was scheduled to depart Incheon International Airport for Guam at 10:05 a.m. on the 23rd, took off at 11:15 a.m., 1 hour and 10 minutes later than planned.
The delay began when Park Soo-hong's family reversed their decision to disembark. According to accounts from passengers on board, Park Soo-hong's young child began crying loudly just before departure, prompting him to tell a flight attendant, "My child is crying too much, and I think it may disturb other passengers, so I will get off."
The airline then began disembarkation procedures, including unloading checked baggage. But while they were waiting, the child calmed down, and Park Soo-hong's family withdrew their request to get off and asked to reboard. The process of reloading baggage and carrying out additional security and ground handling procedures delayed departure by about 70 minutes.
Video taken inside the cabin at the time showed Park Soo-hong, seated in Prestige Class, repeatedly apologizing to nearby passengers and saying, "I'm sorry," while appearing visibly flustered.
As the controversy grew, Park Soo-hong posted an official apology on his social media account on the 26th.
Park Soo-hong explained, "Right after boarding, my child was crying so hard that I panicked and told the crew I wanted to get off because I was worried I might cause major inconvenience to other passengers." He added, "While waiting on the plane, the child stopped crying, so I said I wanted to board again, but I failed to realize that this could delay baggage handling and security checks."
He continued, "This happened entirely because of my ignorance of airline procedures, and I have no excuse," and bowed his head to passengers and airline staff.

Korean Air rejected claims that Park Soo-hong received special treatment because he is a celebrity.
A Korean Air official said, "We responded according to the manual when a passenger requested voluntary disembarkation," adding, "Even if a passenger has expressed a desire to get off, the request can be withdrawn as long as the person has not actually left the aircraft."
The official added, "However, once a disembarkation request is received, checked baggage sorting begins immediately, so even if the request is withdrawn, delays are unavoidable as baggage must be reloaded and security must be confirmed."
Under the Aviation Security Act, a passenger fully disembarking from an aircraft as a voluntary departure is classified as a serious security matter that can cause major delays, including a full cabin rescreening and the removal of all passengers.
In this case, the reversal while waiting in the cabin did not lead to a full rescreening, but baggage rehandling and schedule delays inconvenienced hundreds of passengers, drawing renewed attention to etiquette in public spaces and on aircraft.
[email protected] Moon Young-jin Reporter