Soyou Refutes Claims of Intoxication
"Only Had a Small Amount at the Lounge"
Reiterates Allegations of Racial Discrimination
Singer Soyou, a member of Sistar (34), has claimed that she was subjected to racial discrimination by cabin crew after requesting a Korean flight attendant on a U.S. airline. However, eyewitness accounts have emerged stating that Soyou was heavily intoxicated at the time, leading to a dispute over the truth. Soyou has countered these claims, stating, "I only consumed a small amount of alcohol, and there were no issues during the boarding process," once again asserting her position as the victim.
On the 20th, Soyou posted a statement on her Instagram, saying, "I am sharing my position once again as articles have been published about the incident that occurred while I was returning to Korea after my schedule in New York." She wrote, "I only consumed a small amount of alcohol served with my meal at the lounge before boarding," and "I boarded the plane without any restrictions or issues during the process."
Soyou: "Humiliated throughout the flight, this post is not for compensation"
This appears to be a rebuttal to an earlier post by a social media user who claimed, "Soyou boarded the plane in a drunken state." The user wrote, "Soyou was so intoxicated that she said she was too tired to eat. I even heard the staff say that you shouldn't board a plane while drunk. It's not right to claim 'unfairness' or 'racism' in this way." The post has since been deleted.
Soyou stated, "I always check the meal schedule after boarding to manage my sleep and condition," and "This time as well, after organizing my luggage, I asked a flight attendant about the meal time. However, since I am not fluent enough in English to communicate perfectly, it was difficult to have a conversation."
She continued, "Since it was a flight to Korea, I assumed there would be a Korean-speaking flight attendant," and explained, "Perhaps due to a miscommunication in English during my request, the purser and a security officer came to my seat." She added, "At that time, a Korean-speaking flight attendant also came and helped with the conversation. It was confirmed that there was no problem at all, and I entered Korea as scheduled while remaining on the plane."
She asserted, "While this may have started from a misunderstanding, incidents that made me feel humiliated continued to occur afterward." Soyou said, "While I was heading to the restroom, I encountered a flight attendant providing cart service. The attendant asked me to step aside for the cart to pass, so I moved as requested and waited. However, the purser then ordered me to leave the area immediately in a very authoritative manner." She added, "The flight attendant who had asked me to move explained on my behalf that I was there at their request, but there was no apology."
She also said, "A staff member traveling with me asked for a Korean menu, but was given another foreign language menu without any explanation, which created another awkward situation." She continued, "Although the Korean-speaking flight attendant who helped me repeatedly apologized, I still feel confused and disappointed by everything that happened after boarding, and by the cold stares and attitudes I endured throughout the flight."
"I hope the facts are not exaggerated"
She went on to say, "Although I did not clearly raise an objection at the time, I did not write this post to seek compensation or expose anyone. I wrote it because I hope that no one else will have to go through the same experience." She added, "I hope that the facts are not exaggerated, and lastly, I want to apologize to any passengers who may have been inconvenienced by what happened on board because of me."
Previously, Soyou claimed that she experienced a situation suggestive of racial discrimination after requesting a Korean flight attendant to check the meal schedule on a Delta Air Lines flight in the United States. Soyou stated, "I only asked for a Korean flight attendant to check the meal time, but the purser immediately assumed I was a problematic passenger and suddenly called security." She continued, "I had to endure cold stares and attitudes throughout the flight. At that moment, I wondered, 'Is this racism?'" She added, "I couldn't eat anything during the more than 15-hour flight, and that experience left a deep wound rooted in racial prejudice. I hope no one is ever doubted or humiliated because of their race."
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