"Preventing Airport Congestion During Celebrity Immigration"... Bipartisan Consensus on Countermeasures

Song Eon-seok: "Need for Countermeasures... Legal Action to Follow"
Maeng Sung-kyu: "Time to Develop Effective Solutions"
Alternatives Include Not Announcing Schedules in Advance, 'Flight Fast Track' System

On December 17, the National Assembly held a forum to seek solutions for preventing congestion and incidents at airports caused by the entry and exit of some high-profile celebrities. Both the People Power Party and the Democratic Party of Korea agreed on the need for effective measures and committed to improving relevant legislation and systems.

On October 3rd, the first day of the Chuseok holiday, travelers were lining up for check-in at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1. Photo by Yonhap News

Song Eon-seok, Floor Leader of the People Power Party, stated at the "Policy Forum on Resolving Airport Congestion and Ensuring Passenger Safety During Celebrity Immigration" held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building that morning, "K-culture is creating a global sensation, and as a result, the number of celebrity entries and exits is increasing, along with heightened public interest in celebrities." He added, "As this enthusiasm intensifies, an excessive number of passionate fans gather at airports during celebrity arrivals and departures, which in itself can cause problems."

Song further explained, "There are now cases where people make a living by taking photos or videos of celebrities at airports and uploading them to YouTube, which leads to congestion and even safety risks. Additionally, private security companies sometimes obstruct the movement of other passengers, so comprehensive countermeasures are needed."

He added, "The People Power Party will actively support legislative improvements so that legal measures can be implemented in the future."

Maeng Sung-kyu, Chairman of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, also said in a written congratulatory message, "It is time for airport operators to proactively enhance safety management systems and collaborate with experts in related fields to develop effective solutions. We will pay close attention so that concrete policy alternatives and feasible institutional improvements can be realized."

Lee Hak-jae, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation, who attended the forum, remarked, "When a famous celebrity comes to the airport and their schedule is announced in advance, many paparazzi and fan clubs come to take photos, making the situation extremely crowded. If you look solely at this issue, there is no congestion at all if the celebrity's entry and exit schedule is not disclosed."

He continued, "If the schedule is announced, fans and photographers could simply take pictures at a designated photo zone and leave, but since such an arrangement is not made, crowds gather all at once, creating safety risks. From the airport operator’s perspective, introducing a 'flight fast track' to enable such individuals to exit through a different route quickly could be an alternative."

Moon Hyun-chul, Professor of Police Administration at Honam University, stated in his presentation, "There is a need to revise the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety," adding, "It is necessary to legislate the evaluation of local government heads' capabilities to protect residents in terms of regional safety management, and to include crowd density as a type of social disaster in disaster types and safety management plans."

The National Assembly organized this forum because crowds gathering during celebrity arrivals and departures have frequently caused inconvenience to ordinary passengers.

For example, in July last year, staff from a private security company hired by actor Byun Woo-seok controlled the gates and used camera flashes or checked airline tickets to block crowds of fans, which sparked controversy. In March this year, there was also an incident where security staff controlling the departure of NCT Wish member Sion were criticized for their heavy-handed attitude toward passengers.

The forum was hosted by Yoon Jae-ok, a People Power Party lawmaker and member of the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee. Other attendees included Bok Gi-wang, Democratic Party secretary of the committee; Kim Do-eup, Chairman of the People Power Party Policy Committee; lawmakers Kwon Young-jin, Choi Eun-seok, and Jeong Jeom-sik; Park Jae-hee, Acting President of Korea Airports Corporation; and Joo Jong-wan, Director-General for Aviation Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.