[비즈한국] Allegations have emerged that former Democratic Party floor leader Kim Byung-kee (a member of the National Assembly) received various preferential treatments from Korean Air003490. Rumors have long persisted that Korean Air provides convenience to high-ranking officials or politicians. Providing such services to high-ranking officials was considered somewhat of a custom not only by Korean Air but by other major airlines as well. However, public opinion heavily criticizes the practice of offering special treatment merely because someone is a high-ranking official, especially when they are not performing official duties. In the case of the former floor leader, allegations extend to his family receiving such favors as well.
Korean Air has recently faced unexpected attention due to former floor leader Kim Byung-kee, as he has been embroiled in allegations of receiving preferential treatment from the airline. In November 2024, the former floor leader reportedly received a complimentary hotel voucher from Korean Air. The hotel provided was the 5-star Seogwipo KAL Hotel.
Additionally, allegations surfaced that Korean Air provided preferential protocol to the family of former floor leader Kim Byung-kee when they visited Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2023. While the former floor leader admitted to receiving the complimentary hotel voucher, he denied receiving special family protocol in Hanoi. In a statement, he said, "Regardless of the reason, it was inappropriate," and added, "(Regarding the accommodation fee) The current 2025 retail price is in the low-to-mid 300,000 KRW range per day, including breakfast for two." On social media, he further refuted the claims, stating, "My daughter-in-law and grandson did not receive any special convenience from the Hanoi branch manager upon their arrival in Hanoi."
Cho Young-sul, a spokesperson for the People Power Party, pointed out, "The former floor leader was a key figure in the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee and the National Policy Committee, which could influence Korean Air at the time. A floor leader of the ruling party should act strictly and fairly regarding the massive merger of the aviation industry, a key national infrastructure, but the situation was the opposite. It would be difficult for someone who has received something to remain neutral." Eventually, Kim resigned from his position as floor leader on December 30.
Following the emergence of allegations involving Kim Byung-kee, testimonials regarding Korean Air's preferential treatment for high-ranking officials have surfaced. Kim Jae-yeon, standing representative of the Progressive Party, shared an anecdote on social media from 2014 when she was a National Assembly member. She stated, "A flight attendant came to my seat in economy class and said that since my transit time in Paris might be tight, she would move me to a prestige seat in the front. When I said I had many belongings and didn't want to move, she insisted she would handle it, even picking up my discarded socks, and eventually moved my seat."
Kim Jae-yeon added, "A few years later, I used a flight with Korean Air miles, and for some reason, the departure was significantly delayed. The chief flight attendant came to my seat separately to explain the reason for the delay, leading to a situation where other passengers were staring and wondering why only that person was being told such things."
Previously, in 2018, Kim Sung-tae, former floor leader of the People Power Party, caused controversy for boarding a Korean Air flight without presenting identification. It was reported that a Korean Air employee had vouched for his identity. In the end, the Korea Airports Corporation and Korean Air paid fines.
As this controversy erupts, voices of criticism are being raised against Korean Air’s preferential protocol. The argument is that providing special treatment simply because one is a high-ranking official—even when they are not first-class or business-class customers—is inappropriate. Korean Air has an internal protocol team known as the 'MAS Team (Meet And Assist).' The MAS team is known to assist major VIP customers, such as politicians or high-ranking officials, with immigration procedures or baggage handling. Park Chang-jin, the current deputy spokesperson for the Democratic Party who became known during the 'nut rage' incident, is a former Korean Air employee who handled VIP protocol.
Of course, it is known that most airlines, not just Korean Air, provide some level of protocol for high-ranking officials. However, offering such convenience purely because they are high-ranking officials when they are not on official business is hard for the general public to accept. Furthermore, with the recent completion of its acquisition of Asiana Airlines, Korean Air has become the only full-service carrier (FSC) in the country, meaning there is effectively no competitor to keep it in check domestically. An aviation industry source noted, "It is true that so-called high-ranking figures are subject to some level of management because they travel by air frequently. Sometimes, high-ranking officials or politicians request the protocol from Korean Air themselves."
There are arguments that Korean Air should also bear joint responsibility when controversies regarding protocol for high-ranking officials occur. Former Democratic Party lawmaker Park Yong-jin stated on CBS’s 'Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show,' "If you look at the Kim Young-ran Act, those who provide [illegal favors] are also subject to criminal punishment. (If the Kim Young-ran Act was violated) Korean Air must also strictly face legal responsibility for this."
Talk surrounding Korean Air's VIP preferential protocol remains incessant. However, Korean Air does not disclose specifically which passengers it provides protocol to. A Korean Air official stated, "Customer boarding records and service usage history are personal information protected under the Personal Information Protection Act, so it is difficult to provide them arbitrarily."