Singer Soyou, formerly of SISTAR, has spoken up after online claims accused her of being drunk during a flight. The singer firmly denied the rumors, saying she experienced racial discrimination during her trip back to Korea.
On October 20, Soyou posted a detailed statement on her Instagram, saying, “I want to share my position again because what happened while returning to Korea after my New York schedule has become news.”
Addressing the reports that she boarded the plane intoxicated, she clarified, “Before boarding, I only had a small amount of alcohol served with a meal in the lounge. I boarded the plane without any problems or restrictions.”
The singer went on to describe what led her to feel discriminated against. “I always check the in-flight meal schedule after boarding to adjust my rest and condition,” she explained.
“This time, I asked a flight attendant about the meal time, but since I’m not fluent in English, communication was difficult. I requested a Korean-speaking crew member, but maybe my English was misunderstood because a purser and a security officer came over.”
She continued, “A Korean-speaking flight attendant came to help, and it was confirmed that there was no problem. I stayed on the plane and arrived in Korea as planned.”
However, Soyou shared that more uncomfortable moments followed after that misunderstanding. “When I went to the restroom, I moved aside for a service cart as requested by a crew member. Then the purser told me harshly to ‘get out of here immediately.’ Another crew member explained that I was only standing there because she asked me to, but no one apologized,” she recalled.
She also added that her staff asked for a Korean menu but received one in another language instead. “Even though a Korean-speaking crew member apologized multiple times, I still felt confused and disappointed by the cold looks and attitude throughout the flight,” she said.
Soyou ended her statement by saying, “I didn’t write this for compensation or to attack anyone. I just hope no one else experiences what I did. I also apologize to any passengers who were uncomfortable because of what happened.”
Earlier, she revealed that during the flight, she felt unfairly treated after asking for a Korean-speaking crew member. “I was very tired and just wanted to check the meal schedule,” she said.
“But the crew judged my attitude, treated me like a problem passenger, and even called security. I had to say, ‘If I’m the problem, I’ll get off.’ I couldn’t eat anything for the rest of the long flight. I felt deeply hurt and humiliated.”
Meanwhile, an online post by a netizen claiming Soyou was drunk on the flight circulated briefly before being deleted, further fueling controversy.
Source: [1]
