Singer Soyou issued a second official statement about the "racial discrimination controversy" she said she experienced on a U.S. airplane. While some internet users reacted that the issue had even spread to allegations of reverse discrimination, Soyou expressed her intent to prevent unnecessary misunderstandings, saying the post "was not written for compensation or exposure."
On the 19th, Soyou appealed on her social media that "I was treated unfairly on the plane returning to Korea after finishing my schedule in New York and transiting through Atlanta." She said, "I was tired and only asked for a Korean flight attendant to check the meal time, but the purser took issue with my attitude and even called security," and lamented, "I couldn't eat anything during the more than 15-hour flight, and that experience remained as a wound born of racial prejudice."
But immediately after the post was made public, online opinion was divided. Some internet users criticized, saying "Requesting only Korean flight attendants on foreign carriers is actually reverse discrimination," while others took a cautious stance, saying "It's difficult to conclude racial discrimination based on fragmentary claims alone" and "There may have been airline procedures or misunderstandings." On the other hand, many expressed sympathy, saying "She wouldn't have posted it if it weren't serious" and "One can imagine how embarrassed Soyou must have been."
But the situation escalated as reports that Soyou was heavily intoxicated spread, and the post has since been deleted. As the controversy grew, Soyou posted a long explanation again on the afternoon of the 20th. She opened by saying, "I am sharing my position again because the events that happened on my way back to Korea after my New York schedule seem to have been misunderstood as they were reported in the media."
Soyou said, "I consumed a small amount of alcohol in the lounge before boarding, but there were no sanctions or problems during the boarding process," and explained the situation in detail: "I always have a habit of checking meal times to manage sleep and condition during flights. This time, too, after organizing my luggage I only asked a flight attendant about the meal time." However, she said that because communication in English was not smooth, the conversation was conveyed as a misunderstanding, and in the process the purser and security personnel became involved.
Soyou added, "Afterward, a flight attendant who could speak Korean came and checked the situation, and it was concluded there was no problem, so the flight proceeded as scheduled," but added, "Nevertheless, there were subsequent incidents that made me feel humiliated." She recounted, "While moving to the restroom, I stepped aside toward the aisle at a flight attendant's request, but the purser, with an overbearing attitude, ordered, 'Leave this seat right now.'" She said a nearby flight attendant explained the situation on her behalf, but there was no apology.
She also said, "A staff member traveling with me requested a Korean-language menu, but a foreign-language menu was provided without any explanation, and such uncomfortable moments were repeated," and added, "A flight attendant who helped in Korean apologized several times, but the cold stares and attitude throughout the flight did not change."
Above all, regarding posting the matter publicly on social media, she said, "I did not make this public for compensation or exposure," and emphasized, "I wrote the post with the courage to hope that no one else will go through what I experienced. I hope the facts are not exaggerated or inflated." She also bowed and said, "I apologize to the passengers who may have felt inconvenienced because of me."
Even after Soyou's renewed explanation, internet user reactions remain divided. Voices of understanding said, "It is likely a misunderstanding caused by language and cultural differences during the flight," while critics said, "Requesting a specifically Korean flight attendant could have caused misunderstanding," and "Judgment on a celebrity's one-sided claim should be cautious."
Ultimately, the incident has escalated beyond a simple happening into a complex situation in which linguistic misunderstandings intersected. Through this second explanation, Soyou detailed the course of events to minimize unnecessary misunderstandings, and internet users have tended toward caution, saying "Judgment should be made after the facts are clearly confirmed." Meanwhile, the airline in question currently has no position.
[Photo] OSEN DB, SNS
[OSEN]