SEOUL - Incheon International Airport said on Oct 27 it is retracting a much-disputed plan to provide designated security lanes for celebrities in order to prevent overcrowding by onlookers.

       This came after backlash from lawmakers and members of the public who were against preferential treatment for famous people.

       Officials at South Korea’s main gateway said the airport will not be implementing the plan to permit celebrities to use security lanes such as those for flight crew, diplomats and disabled passengers, which was scheduled to begin on Oct 28.

       “We will introduce other plans to ensure that overcrowding (at security) and other issues such as passenger safety will not occur,” the company said in a press release.

       Last week, the airport’s operators announced that famous people would be able to apply to use the flight crew lanes in a bid to prevent crowding by onlookers, which in recent months has led to passenger inconvenience and safety issues.

       One such incident caused controversy when South Korean actor Byeon Woo-seok used the airport and members of his security team conducted unauthorised passport checks and blocked off lanes to other passengers.

       The airport’s new plan backfired when several members of the public and some lawmakers took issue with its preferential treatment for famous people, and a lack of clarity on who could use the designated security lanes. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

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