![Jang Won-young, a member of K-pop group IVE. [Yonhap]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/15/news-p.v1.20260524.e7b9e875f4d04a8b9f9da6501eb1bc47_P1.jpg)
A controversy over an identity verification check involving IVE member Jang Won-young at Gimpo Airport has escalated into a formal complaint filed against Korea Airports Corporation.
According to the complainant, the security management division of Gimpo International Airport's operations unit received a complaint June 15 requesting that the authority clarify and standardize the procedures and official guidelines for identity verification at international departure gates.
The dispute traces back to a video filmed May 30 as Jang was departing for Shanghai, China. In the footage, she kept her arms crossed throughout the check, briefly lifted her mask and hat before immediately lowering them, accepted her passport with one hand, and quickly walked through the departure gate.
The clip sparked criticism that she had been uncooperative during the procedure. The controversy was later resolved after footage from a different angle showed her handing over her passport with both hands and fully complying with the face verification check.
![Jang Won-young with her face covered by a mask and sunglasses. This photo is unrelated to the article. [Herald Muse]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/15/ams.V01.photo.HDN.P.20260518.P12026051811121964320150103_P1.jpg)
The complainant said the guidelines differ from airport to airport, citing inconsistencies among Gimpo, Jeju and Gimhae international airports.
The complainant noted that Incheon International Airport issues separate instructions at departure gates requiring passengers to remove masks, hats and sunglasses for identity verification. The complainant asked whether the same standard applies uniformly across all airports under Korea Airports Corporation's jurisdiction.
Under Article 15-3 of the Enforcement Decree of the Aviation Security Act, airport operators must verify a passenger's identity by comparing their boarding pass against their identification document, and may conduct additional checks when a photo alone is insufficient.
The complainant asked the authority to explain "how staff are directed to request passenger cooperation" and "the basis and method by which identity verification procedures are carried out."
"This complaint is not an attack on any particular celebrity," the complainant said. "It is a public-interest inquiry aimed at identifying the gap between official guidelines and actual operating standards, and calling for a unified set of procedures."
dbsdn1110@heraldcorp.com
