Kim Go-eun, Who Reported In-Flight Racism, Appears on YTN Radio
[Asia Economy Reporter Shinwon Yoon] A citizen who posted a complaint on social network services (SNS) claiming that the Dutch airline KLM discriminated against Koreans in relation to COVID-19 has clarified their position.
On the 17th, Kim Go-eun, who reported the racial discrimination incident experienced on KLM, appeared on YTN Radio's "Noh Young-hee's Start of a New Morning" and said, "I hope this issue is not only publicized in Korea but also followed by an apology at the headquarters level," adding, "I think a considerate attitude is needed to avoid causing trouble to others regarding discrimination that can come in various forms."
The incident occurred on the KL855 flight departing from Amsterdam, Netherlands, to Incheon on the 10th.
At that time, passenger Kim noticed a notice on the restroom door written in Korean that said "Crew Only Restroom." When she took a photo of the notice and protested to the crew, asking, "Why is the phrase written only in Korean without English?" the crew reportedly responded, "This decision was made to protect against potential COVID-19 carriers," and instead requested Kim to delete the photo.
Regarding the situation, Kim said, "Most Korean passengers also felt uncomfortable," and added, "Since communication in English was difficult, they could only stand by, but when I protested, people around me shared my anger. Some even said they would get off and immediately report this to the media."
When asked what gave her the courage to protest, she explained, "As soon as I saw the notice, I thought it was unreasonable and complained without much hesitation," adding, "I thought they would listen since I was a passenger. I expected a sufficient explanation, but the crew became increasingly high-handed and agitated, and said things like 'Why are you the only one complaining?'"
On the morning of the 14th, KLM Airlines officials apologized at a press conference held at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul, regarding the Korean-language notice for the "Crew-Only Restroom." [Image source=Yonhap News]
Earlier, on the 14th, KLM issued a sincere apology regarding the incident. Guillaume Glass, KLM Regional Manager for Korea, Japan, and New Caledonia, stated, "Although it was an individual crew member's mistake, it is by no means a trivial one," and added, "We deeply regret causing concern to Korean customers as it was interpreted as discrimination against them."
He continued, "Regarding this matter, KLM plans to notify all crew members worldwide that crew-only restrooms are not permitted," and explained, "We will emphasize this issue again during crew briefings before flights departing from and arriving at Incheon in the future."
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