Singer Soyou claimed she was racially discriminated against on a Delta Air Lines flight in the U.S., while conflicting testimonies from witnesses are intensifying the controversy.
On the 19th, Soyou stated on her SNS, “After finishing my schedule in New York, I boarded a flight to Korea from my layover in Atlanta,” adding, “In my very tired state, I only requested a Korean flight attendant to confirm the meal time, but the purser judged my attitude hastily and called security.” She continued, “I even said I would deplane if I was the issue,” and lamented, “Throughout the flight, I couldn’t eat anything in a cold atmosphere. At that moment, I wondered if this was racial discrimination.”
Soyou emphasized the reality of the event by also posting a photo of her Delta Air Lines ticket. Following her revelations, responses like “This is obvious racial discrimination” flooded online, leading to outrage. However, the situation took a sharp turn the next day. Witnesses from the same flight refuted her claims, turning the incident from simple complaints to a battle over the truth.
One witness said, “Soyou herself said she was ‘a bit drunk,’ and I saw the crew worrying that she shouldn’t board in that state,” adding, “It’s embarrassing as a fellow Korean to later see it labeled as racial discrimination.” Another passenger said, “It was a night flight, so I didn’t notice at first, but I looked when it got noisy to see it was Soyou. She was looking for a Korean flight attendant because she couldn’t read the menu, and security did not come.” He added, “The crew was actually being cautious, and the atmosphere was calm.”
With differing claims clashing, opinions online are emerging like “If she was indeed drunk, the situation could be different,” and “We need to confirm both sides’ positions.” Particularly, some netizens expressed regret about Soyou’s method of disclosure, stating, “As a public figure, she should have been more cautious.”
As of now, neither Soyou nor Delta Air Lines have officially stated their positions. Meanwhile, debates continue in the comment section of Soyou’s post with both support and criticism being expressed. Some fans believe “The discomfort she felt should be respected,” while others argue, “If the witnesses’ testimony is true, labeling it ‘racial discrimination’ was excessive.”
Meanwhile, Soyou debuted in 2010 as part of the girl group SISTAR and received much affection, later transitioning to a solo career and releasing many hits like ‘PDA’ and ‘I Miss You’. She recently signed an exclusive contract with Mound Media and continues her activities. There is now keen interest in how this controversy might affect her image going forward.
