So-you (34), a member of the girl group Sistar, who claimed to have suffered racial discrimination from an American airline, refuted allegations of being "drunken before boarding" that emerged from some quarters.
On the 19th, So-you shared on her social media that she experienced racial discrimination while taking a flight back to Korea from Atlanta after completing her schedule in New York.
She stated, "I was just trying to check the meal time while in a very tired state and requested a Korean flight attendant, but the chief flight attendant judged my attitude and treated me like a problematic passenger, suddenly calling security."
She continued, "I even had to say, 'If I'm the problem, I'll get off,' and I had to endure cold stares and attitudes throughout the flight. At that moment, I thought, 'Is this racial discrimination?' I couldn't eat anything during the more than 15-hour flight, and that experience left a deep wound stemming from racial prejudice."
Many netizens were outraged by So-you's confession of racial discrimination, but the atmosphere changed when another netizen, who claimed to have been on the same flight, posted a witness account stating that she was intoxicated at the time.
The netizen pointed out, "So-you said she wouldn't eat because she was drunk and tired. I heard the staff saying that you shouldn't board a plane while intoxicated. You can't just say 'I'm wronged' or 'it's racial discrimination' like that."
They added, "She admitted to being drunk and requested a Korean flight attendant because she couldn't read the menu. There was no security present." Furthermore, they expressed, "At that moment, as a Korean and a fan, I felt very embarrassed. I was also very ashamed for the flight attendants."
In response to the controversy, So-you posted a clarification on her social media on the 20th.
She denied the "drunkenness before boarding" allegations, stating, "I only consumed a small amount of alcohol served with meals in the lounge before boarding, and I boarded without any sanctions or issues during the boarding process."
She also claimed, "While this may stem from a misunderstanding, there were continued incidents that made me feel humiliated afterward," alleging that the chief flight attendant gave orders in a domineering manner and brought a foreign language menu without any explanation when she inquired about the Korean menu.
So-you emphasized, "I did not write this for compensation or exposure. I courageously wrote this in the hope that no one else would have to go through what I experienced," and added, "Lastly, I apologize to the passengers who were uncomfortable due to the incident that occurred on the flight because of me."
Currently, the witness account from the netizen claiming to have been on the same flight as So-you has been deleted.
Meanwhile, So-you debuted in 2010 with the group Sistar, receiving great love, and has been continuing her solo activities since 2017. Recently, she signed an exclusive contract with Mound Media.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
