Jang Wonyoung's "Departure Video Controversy": Complaint Filed Over "Are Celebrities Given Special Treatment?"

Complainant Calls for Clarification of Identity Verification Standards On the 30th of last month, a scene of group Ive member Jang Wonyoung departing from Gimpo Airport. She complied with the procedures, such as lifting her hat and lowering her mask at the staff's request to verify her face. Screenshot from social media View original image Controversy has arisen after IVE member Jang Wonyoung was seen only partially lowering her mask instead of removing it completely during an immigration inspection at Gimpo Airport. In connection with this incident, a public complaint was filed with the airport, arguing that the criteria for identity verification are ambiguous. On the 15th, Korea Airports Corporation announced that it had received a complaint inquiring whether the same standards are applied to all passengers during the identity verification process and whether those standards are clearly specified. The complaint stemmed from a video of Jang Wonyoung departing from Gimpo Airport. On the 30th of last month, Jang Wonyoung was seen complying with a staff request for facial verification by lifting her hat and lowering her mask while departing through Gimpo International Airport. However, since she did not completely remove her hat and mask but only partially lifted them, online users raised concerns about her allegedly insufficient compliance with the identity verification procedure. The complainant stated, "The core issues are what standards airport staff use to verify passengers' identities, whether these standards are applied consistently throughout the airport, and whether passengers can clearly confirm these standards through official guidance." Ive member Jang Wonyoung. Jang Wonyoung Instagram View original image The complainant added, "Incheon International Airport explicitly states that masks, hats, and sunglasses must be briefly removed for identity verification," and argued, "Korea Airports Corporation, which is responsible for Gimpo Airport, needs to further clarify its criteria and official guidance regarding identity verification." The complainant also requested confirmation that the same standards are applied to all passengers, regardless of social status or public recognition, including politicians, businesspeople, and celebrities. In response, Korea Airports Corporation explained, "We verbally instruct passengers to remove items such as hats and masks," and added, "If the staff responsible for identity verification finds it difficult to make a match with the ID photo, they may additionally request that the passenger fully remove these items." The current Enforcement Decree of the Aviation Security Act, Article 15-3, stipulates that the airport operator must check whether the passenger matches the boarding pass and identification card, and if confirmation through the attached photo is difficult, further verification through questions or other means may be conducted.