Incheon and Korea Airports Corporation Criticized for Aviation Security Failures

Yoon Hyeong-jung, President of Korea Airports Corporation, on "Master Plan"
Regarding Cancellation of Jaurim Participation Event
Lee Hak-jae, President of Incheon Airport Corporation, "Safety First Consideration"

On the 25th, during the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee’s audit, questions from ruling and opposition party lawmakers focused on the recent surge in aviation security incidents and the distribution of overseas narcotics. Issues were also raised regarding the cancellation of a concert featuring the band Jaurim and the political activities of non-executive directors.

Sim Sang-jung, a lawmaker from the Justice Party, cited a case in March this year where two 9mm live rounds were brought on board Korean Air flight KE621 from Incheon to Manila, pointing out that “airports with the highest security level have been fundamentally shaken.” She further argued that security personnel were reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic to cut labor costs and that the failure to replenish staff led to the incident.

Jung Dong-man, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, stated, “From 2019 until last month, 1,439 cases of firearms and live ammunition were detected in prohibited items brought onto aircraft,” adding, “Given the recent increase in violent incidents involving weapons in public places, security at Incheon Airport must be strengthened.”

Yoon Hyung-jung, president of Korea Airports Corporation, responded, “We are taking the repeated security failures very seriously,” and said, “We are planning a master plan to restart aviation security measures from scratch.”

[Image source=Yonhap News]

There were also numerous criticisms related to narcotics distribution. Kim Hak-yong, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, said, “During the COVID-19 pandemic, narcotics entered Korea via delivery services, but now they are transported directly by people,” and urged proactive measures, noting, “However, both airport corporations do not conduct separate searches for narcotics during security screening.”

Questions were raised regarding the cancellation of the ‘Sky Festival’ event scheduled for last month, which was to feature the band Jaurim, by Incheon International Airport Corporation due to rain. Lee So-young, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized, “Was the Jaurim concert canceled to align with the People Power Party’s code and because the ruling party disliked them?” She pointed out that “81% of the event budget of 1.33 billion won had already been spent when it was canceled, resulting in a loss of about 1 billion won.”

Jaurim member Kim Yoon-ah had posted critical content on her social media regarding the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima, Japan.

In response, Lee Hak-jae, president of Incheon International Airport Corporation, said, “The corporation is a public enterprise that prioritizes safety, and if the event had started as planned, it would have had to be stopped due to rain,” adding, “Even if you, the lawmaker, had been in my position, I believe the concert should have been canceled.”

Criticism was also directed at Bae Jae-jung, a non-executive director of Incheon International Airport Corporation and former Democratic Party lawmaker, for engaging in political activities instead of management duties. Seo Beom-su, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, said, “A public enterprise executive is conducting anti-government protests and election campaigning without any action being taken.” President Lee responded, “I understand that Director Bae intends to suspend her non-executive director activities and focus on politics,” and added, “We will actively coordinate this.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.