Incheon Airport drops plan for exclusive celebrity entrance

Should influencers, celebrities, and broadly understood public figures be treated differently from the average individual? Opinions on this matter are highly divided. Some believe that with fame comes the opportunity to enjoy privileges, such as dining with a golden spoon and employing numerous staff for protection, cleaning, driving, makeup, or hairstyling. Others maintain that celebrities are simply people who have achieved success. Despite this, ideas often emerge worldwide to separate public figures from ordinary people, usually without public acceptance.

Celebrity culture in South Korea is among the most developed in the world. Fans collect pictures, drawings, or items signed by an idol's name, willing to spend large sums of money on them. Tickets to concerts of the most popular music groups sell out faster than hotcakes at a local bakery. For many, meeting an idol is more important than a wedding or the birth of their own child. Thus, it's no wonder South Korean influencers strive to protect their privacy in various ways.

Regardless of status, travellers departing from or returning to South Korea gather at one of the Korean airports. The largest of these is Seoul-Incheon International Airport. It is also among the largest airports in all of Asia. Here, fans sometimes manage to meet their idols. The authorities of Incheon decided to tackle uncomfortable encounters. Consequently, employees came up with the idea of creating a separate entrance exclusively for celebrities.

The controversial idea did not meet with public approval. As a result, the authorities of Seoul-Incheon Airport withdrew its implementation. In a press statement published on 27 October 2024, media representatives wrote: "In light of diverse opinions raised during the parliamentary audit and media coverage, we will not implement the special entry procedure for high-profile individuals causing dense crowds, which was scheduled for October 28." The company added, "We will examine practices at overseas airports and gather sufficient feedback to establish alternative measures ensuring the safety of airport users and addressing issues like congestion due to crowding."

A company representative added, "The public consultation process was not adequately conducted." Earlier, on 24 October 2024, the proposed solution also received negative feedback from the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the National Assembly, which stated that "such actions are unfair."