Broadcaster Park Su-hong. [Yonhap]
Broadcaster Park Su-hong. [Yonhap]

Allegations that broadcaster Park Su-hong's family caused a delay on an international flight by reversing a decision to disembark have stoked controversy online.

According to posts circulating on online communities and reports by Maeil Business Newspaper on Wednesday, Korean Air flight KE415, scheduled to depart Incheon International Airport for Guam on Sunday, was delayed by about an hour.

One post, titled "Park Su-hong on-off controversy — Korean Air delayed one hour," claimed the departure was pushed back by roughly an hour because of Park's family. The author alleged that after the family told crew they wanted to get off, their checked baggage was offloaded and then had to be reloaded when they changed their minds.

According to the post, Park's family informed a flight attendant they wished to disembark after their child would not stop crying. The airline then began removing their checked baggage from the aircraft in accordance with standard offloading procedures.

Once the child calmed down, Park's party said they wanted to reboard, and the airline allowed them back on. The author claimed the delay stemmed from the time needed to reload the baggage that had already been removed.

[Park Su-hong's social media]
[Park Su-hong's social media]

Some accounts also claimed that other passengers received an intercom apology about the delay.

The flight took off at around 11:07 a.m., 51 minutes behind schedule, and arrived at its destination 39 minutes late.

Photos that appeared to show airline staff checking baggage on the tarmac also spread online alongside the posts.

The allegations drew sharp reactions from internet users. "Would a regular passenger have been allowed to reboard?" some asked, while others said the family had inconvenienced fellow travelers and questioned whether Park's celebrity status had earned the family preferential treatment.

Neither Park's representatives nor Korean Air had issued any statement on the claims as of Wednesday.


yeonjoo7@heraldcorp.com