South Korean singer Soyou said Friday that she has received a formal apology from Delta Air Lines in response to her complaint of racial discrimination on a flight from New York to Seoul last month.
“I reflected on the series of events that occurred during the flight and filed a complaint with the cabin crew before landing,” Soyou wrote on social media. “This week, I received an apology email from Delta Air Lines.”
The member of K-pop girl group Sistar had said on Oct. 19 that she was treated unfairly after asking a flight attendant for a Korean staff member to check the meal service time. According to the post, the cabin manager then treated her as a “problematic passenger” and called security personnel.
“I told them I would get off the plane if I were really causing a problem,” she wrote. “But throughout the flight, I had to endure their cold stares and attitude. At that moment, I thought, ‘maybe this is racial discrimination.’”
Her initial post drew widespread attention online, but a day later, another passenger claiming to have been on the same flight alleged that the singer had been intoxicated.
“Despite my clarification, falsehoods and rumors continue to spread indiscriminately,” Soyou wrote in a follow-up post on Friday. “I will take firm action, including legal measures, against baseless speculation, the dissemination of unverified claims, and insults that infringe upon personal dignity.”
She also thanked her supporters and apologized for causing public concern. “Thanks to those who empathized with my experience and sent words of encouragement, I’ve been able to return to my everyday life,” she said.
seungku99@heraldcorp.com
