Flight Disruption

[Anchor Lead]

On a flight from Hong Kong to Seoul, four foreign fans of a Korean idol group demanded to de-board immediately before takeoff. They were on the plane not to come to Korea, but just to see the favorite Korean hallyu stars. This incident left other passengers to undergo security checks and caused an hour delay.

[Pkg]

A Korean Air flight to Seoul was waiting to takeoff at Hong Kong International Airport last Saturday afternoon. Suddenly, four passengers told a flight attendant that they would deboard the plane. They were three Chinese and one Hong Kong fans of Korean hallyu boy band Wanna One. Wanna One members were on board the plane after attending a music award ceremony held in Hong Kong on Friday. The fans bought tickets and boarded the plane to see their favorite stars, but demanded to be let off immediately before takeoff and even demanded a refund. As a result, about 360 passengers had to disembark from the plane with their belongings and undergo security checks again. Aviation regulation stipulates that when a passenger gets off the plane before takeoff, other passengers have to be checked again for security purposes since there may be hazardous items in the cabin.

[Soundbite] Korean Air Official(Voice Modified) : "They had to get off and have their belongings checked. They returned to the plane after the security check."

The plane took off an hour later. Korean Air refunded their air fares minus the cancellation fee. The carrier reported the incident to Hong Kong police, but they were not punished because they did not actually cause a disturbance. Korean Air said that passengers occasionally demand to be let off the plane before takeoff with no particular reason and asked others not to engage in such behavior that inconveniences passengers.