Singer Soyou claimed she was racially discriminated against by flight attendants after asking for a Korean flight attendant on a U.S.-registered aircraft, as eyewitness accounts emerged saying Soyou was heavily intoxicated, sparking a battle over the facts.
On Oct. 19, Soyou shared on her Instagram story an anecdote about what happened after wrapping up her schedule in New York.
Soyou said, "After finishing my New York schedule, I boarded a connecting Atlanta-to-Korea flight," and added, "I was extremely tired and only asked for a Korean flight attendant to check the meal time, but the purser judged my attitude, treated me like a problematic passenger, and suddenly even called security."
She continued, "I even had to say, 'If I'm the problem, I'll get off,' and then had to endure cold looks and attitudes throughout the flight," adding, "In that moment, I wondered, 'Is this racial discrimination?'"
Soyou added, "I couldn't eat anything during the more than 15-hour flight, and the experience left a deep wound rooted in racial prejudice," and "I hope no one is suspected or humiliated because of race."
According to the plane ticket Soyou shared, the airline was Delta Air Lines in the United States. Hyeri, formerly of the group Girl's Day, also recently shared that even though she booked Delta Air Lines first class a month and a half in advance, she was downgraded to an economy seat.
However, on Oct. 20, passengers who claimed they were on the same flight as Soyou began posting eyewitness accounts with conflicting details.
One internet user said, "I was on the same flight as Soyou. Soyou was heavily intoxicated and said she wouldn't eat because she was tired, and I also heard staff saying, 'You shouldn't board a plane while drunk.' You can't claim you were wronged like this and call it racial discrimination."
Another internet user said, "It was a night flight, so I didn't notice at first, but it was noisy and I looked and it was Soyou. She herself said she was drunk and demanded a Korean flight attendant because she couldn't read the menu. Security did not come."
With these eyewitness accounts, Soyou's allegation has turned into a battle over the truth. So far, neither Soyou nor the airline has issued an official position.