K-pop star Soyou has finally spoken out, directly addressing the viral controversy over rumors that she was drunk and disorderly on a flight.
In a video released on May 28 on the YouTube channel Ipman Yeolmyeon, Soyou appeared as a guest and personally clarified the rumors and backlash that have followed her.
Back in October last year, after wrapping schedules in the United States, Soyou drew attention by posting on social media that she felt she had received racially discriminatory treatment from a foreign airline crew while returning to Korea. At the time, she wrote that she "only asked for a Korean flight attendant" but was treated like a "problem passenger," claiming security was even called. Soon after, however, online witness accounts spread alleging "Soyou was completely wasted," and the controversy escalated.
Addressing this, Soyou previously explained that she had only a small amount of alcohol in the lounge before boarding and "was not wasted." On the show, she added, "I didn't think posting on social media would blow up like this," recalling, "Suddenly, I had become the drunk person."
She continued, "On flights, I love the first meal service the most, but I often miss it, so I tried to ask a flight attendant. It was hard to explain everything in English, so I asked for a Korean crew member — and then, out of nowhere, security showed up."
She also said, "On my way back from the restroom, a flight attendant told me to step inside because the cart was coming through, so I briefly moved into the crew area — then another attendant yelled at me to get out," adding, "From that moment, it felt so unfair. I hadn't done anything wrong, but they kept acting angry at me."
In particular, Soyou said the netizen who first pushed the 'drunk on board' claim "deleted their account and disappeared," yet "I was suddenly labeled a drunk, a wasted woman, and a bully."