After celebrity airport incidents involving Byeon Woo-seok, Hearts2Hearts, authorities consider new safety measures but rule out VIP entrances
Fans trail Byeon Woo-seok (second from left) as he enters Incheon Airport in July 2024. (Newsis)
South Korea has long grappled with airport congestion caused by the large entourages and security details accompanying celebrities traveling overseas. The issue has persisted for years, with fans and security personnel frequently crowding airport passageways and delaying travelers trying to catch flights on schedule.
That situation may soon change.
Earlier this week, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport commissioned a research project titled “A Study on Crowd Safety Management Measures for Celebrity Airport Use.”
According to the ministry, the study seeks a research team to analyze how crowd surges form when celebrities travel through airports and assess the associated safety risks. It will also review how major international airports handle celebrity access and crowd control, while outlining coordination procedures among relevant agencies for a more sustainable on-site response. The study will also examine cultural cooperation initiatives linking airports with K-content, including potential arts and cultural programming that utilizes airport spaces.
A bodyguard shines a flashlight at fans as Byeon Woo-seok walks through Incheon Airport in 2024. (Instagram)
The push for new guidelines follows a series of highly publicized incidents in which celebrity airport appearances disrupted regular passenger traffic.
One of the most high-profile cases involved actor Byeon Woo-seok, star of the drama “Lovely Runner,” during his 2024 departure from Incheon International Airport for a fan meeting in Hong Kong. A large crowd gathered at the airport to see him, and his security team drew criticism after appearing to shine flashlights at fans and nearby passengers to prevent filming. Online posts later alleged that the guards arbitrarily checked passports and boarding passes of travelers using the same airport lounge as the actor and blocked the boarding gate for roughly 10 minutes so he could board first.
The controversy escalated further when Incheon Airport filed a lawsuit against the private security company involved, citing concerns that guards overstepped their authority by blocking a gate and checking tickets.
On Oct. 2, 2025, the court fined a bodyguard and the security firm 1 million won ($673) each for violating the Security Services Industry Act. In its ruling, the judge also criticized the actor’s management team, noting that publicizing the itinerary and drawing large crowds made the airport appearance resemble “a fan meeting.”
More recently, Hearts2Hearts, a girl group under SM Entertainment, faced widespread backlash last year after a video circulated online appearing to show one of the group’s bodyguards pushing a passerby at Incheon Airport.
The clip showed the group using the airport’s passenger terminal shuttle train when a woman attempting to board bumped into one of the members. A bodyguard then appeared to push her neck with his arm while questioning her. Even after she said she had a boarding pass, the guard continued to confront her.
The video quickly sparked criticism online, with commenters questioning whether security personnel had the authority to block other passengers in shared transportation areas.
Amid growing complaints from travelers, authorities have previously explored structural solutions. In 2024, Incheon Airport proposed introducing a dedicated entrance at the airport for celebrities and other high-profile figures.
The plan was scrapped just one day before its scheduled launch after critics argued the measure would grant unfair privileges to entertainers traveling for commercial activities rather than official duties. The issue was also raised during the National Assembly’s parliamentary audit, where lawmakers questioned whether the policy disproportionately benefited major entertainment agencies.
“It is causing the public to feel a sense of relative deprivation, while also fueling controversy over preferential treatment for celebrities and even debates about ranking or classifying celebrities into hierarchies,” said Jeon Yong-gi of the Democratic Party of Korea during the October 2024 audit. “We asked for countermeasures, but the response was to approach it through special privileges.”
Following the backlash, the airport operator formally withdrew the plan, saying it had reconsidered the policy after taking into account the various concerns raised during the parliamentary review.
According to the ministry, the research contractor for the newly commissioned project will be selected through negotiations following the evaluation of submitted proposals and price assessments.
Currently, Los Angeles International Airport and Heathrow Airport operate private terminals for VIPs and celebrities. These facilities use separate security screening and dedicated movement routes, separating them from the flow of other passengers. Such services are typically framed not as free privileges but as paid safety measures, generally approached from the standpoint of congestion management and operational efficiency, and often costing several million won for an annual membership.
yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com