Incheon Airport Breached Again... Chinese National Caught Carrying 21cm Blade

Failure to Detect Weapon Possession at Airport Security Checkpoint

A Chinese passenger carrying a weapon measuring 21cm in length (blade length 11cm) was caught just before boarding a plane at Incheon International Airport. The airport security checkpoint failed to detect the weapon possession by the Chinese passenger.

As social distancing measures eased, demand for overseas travel increased, and on the 20th, Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 boarding area was bustling with travelers. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

According to the Incheon International Airport Police Unit on the 8th, at around 3:30 PM on the 6th, an airline staff member discovered and reported a Chinese female passenger in her 70s, identified as Ms. A, carrying a weapon in front of Gate 45 on the 3rd floor of Terminal 1 at Incheon Airport. Ms. A was scheduled to travel to Yanji, China, via Jeju Air (7C8903) from Incheon Airport.

Before boarding, when the airline staff tried to check the contents of a paper box Ms. A was holding, she said it was a "rice cooker" and used the weapon to open the rice cooker box. During this process, the presence of the weapon was discovered.

Ms. A had passed through the airport security checkpoint earlier without any restrictions. It was confirmed that she freely roamed areas such as the duty-free goods delivery zone while carrying the weapon.

If the airline staff had not requested a check, Ms. A might have boarded the plane carrying the weapon.

After being questioned by the police, Ms. A returned to China. A representative from Incheon International Airport Corporation stated, "The airline staff reported the incident, and a joint investigation with military and police authorities found no criminal charges. The weapon was confiscated, and she was deported," adding, "We will strengthen security screening further."

At Incheon International Airport, on the 16th of last month, a sanitation worker found one 5.56mm rifle bullet in a trash can in front of Exit 4 on the 3rd floor of Terminal 1. On the 10th of last month, two 9mm pistol bullets were also found inside a passenger plane, raising concerns about the lax airport security screening.