Byeon Woo Seok criticized for being overprotected, abusing power

Recently, Korean actor Byeon Woo Seok was present at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport to go to Hong Kong (China) to carry out his schedule.

After his appearance, the private security personnel closed the gate for about 10 minutes, not allowing anyone to enter, including reporters. The illegal closing of the departure gate of a public facility for private use by a celebrity caused inconvenience to the general passengers.

The security company later explained: “We discussed with airport security beforehand due to the possibility of an accident caused by the crowd during the artist's departure.”

However, on July 15, Incheon Airport officials stated that they had not discussed this with the private security company assigned to protect Byeon Woo Seok.

When Byeon Woo Seok entered the business class lounge on the 4th floor, security personnel blocked the entrance to the escalator, which is an area where passengers are free to enter and exit.

The staff started checking passports and boarding passes without any legal authority. They claimed that they were only checking people who intended to enter the lounge. However, such actions were even more stringent than the police's identity checks.

Incheon Airport officials confirmed that passport and boarding pass checks were not coordinated with the airport. Airport security also said they had no authority to check passenger IDs. Under the Immigration Control Act, only immigration officers are allowed to conduct checks.

Additionally, a video circulating on social media shows the bodyguard flashing his flashlight at other people as soon as Byeon Woo Seok entered the waiting room (to prevent anyone from taking pictures).

Byeon's Bodyguard — Byeon Woo Seok's bodyguard flashes his flashlight at other passengers. Photo: Naver

The incident has met with public opposition, with Byeon Woo Seok's bodyguard being criticized for overreacting, as the actor was not the one who rented the entire waiting room. Byeon Woo Seok himself was also questioned for not taking action to stop the bodyguard from committing misconduct.

“This is a clear abuse of power and potentially constitutes coercion,” commented lawyer Yoo Young Joon from Yuyoung Law Office.

A complaint has been filed with the National Human Rights Commission, alleging that Byeon Woo Seok's private escort group violated human rights.

"If there is evidence that Incheon International Airport facilitated the actions of private security companies and discriminated against passengers in general, a comprehensive investigation will be conducted," the committee said.

Korean viewers commented on theqoo: “They even checked the tickets of the passengers in the waiting room. Just rent a private plane and go”; “If the security did that, shouldn’t the actors have stopped them?”; “Even more famous actors and idols don’t behave like that, it’s ridiculous.”

“When little-known actors suddenly become famous, they change because they enjoy the attention. They clear crowded places like airports to attract attention and enjoy being the center of attention. They won’t stop because they enjoy it.”

Byeon Woo Seok's management company, Varo Entertainment, later apologized for the overprotection controversy. However, the wave of public criticism has not yet subsided. Many opinions say that Varo is just blaming the bodyguard company.

Byeon Woo Seok recently became a hot face after the success of the drama "Running With You". He rose to the top of the trending actor charts and became sought after.

Source: https://laodong.vn/giai-tri/byeon-woo-seok-bi-chi-trich-vi-duoc-bao-ve-qua-muc-lam-quyen-1367213.ldo