Post on Facebook After President's Public Rebuke
"If We Implement 100% Baggage Inspection, the Airport Will Come to a Standstill"
Lee Hakjae, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation, commented on December 14 regarding President Lee Jaemyung’s criticism during a work report about the “bookmark dollar screening.” He stated, “Even employees who have worked at Incheon Airport for 30 years would not know about this unless they are involved in security screening.”
On his Facebook account that day, President Lee wrote, “Since last Friday, I have received countless messages from acquaintances over the weekend,” and began his post by saying, “To those who witnessed President Lee Jaemyung’s criticism of me, it may have seemed like a suggestion that I should step down.” He continued, “World-class aviation experts are working hard at Incheon Airport, but I hesitated to post this because I was concerned that, due to last Friday’s commotion, the public might misunderstand Incheon Airport as an incompetent organization.”
On October 27th, at the large conference room of Incheon International Airport Corporation in Jung-gu, Incheon, during the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee's audit of Incheon International Airport Corporation and others, Lee Hakjae, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation (right), is responding to questions from lawmakers. Photo by Airport Photographers Group photo@yna.co.kr (End)
President Lee explained, “Preventing illegal foreign currency outflow is the responsibility of customs, while the screening work of Incheon International Airport Corporation is focused on dangerous items such as knives, awls, firearms, lighters, and liquids.” He continued, “If illegal foreign currency is discovered during the process of screening for dangerous items at Incheon Airport, it is handed over to customs.” He added, “According to what I have confirmed, even employees who have worked at Incheon Airport Corporation for 30 years would not know about the screening of bookmark dollars unless they work in the security screening field.” He also pointed out, “What is concerning is that this incident has now made it widely known that ‘if you hide dollars in a book as a bookmark, they will not be detected during screening.’” Furthermore, he stated, “If we implement the 100% baggage opening and screening suggested by the President as a solution, the airport would come to a standstill.” President Lee concluded his explanation by saying, “We will discuss with customs whether there are better solutions.”
During a work report on December 12 for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and others, President Lee Jaemyung asked, “Is it true that if you place tens of thousands of dollars in $100 bills like bookmarks in a book and take them overseas, they won’t be detected?” When President Lee Hakjae was unable to provide a proper answer, President Lee Jaemyung publicly rebuked him, asking, “How long is your term?”, “You really have a way with words,” and “Are you spending your time elsewhere?”
President Lee Hakjae is a former three-term National Assembly member and was appointed President of Incheon International Airport Corporation in June 2023 during the Yoon Sukyeol administration.
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