Foreign passenger vapes in Incheon Airport security zone, adding to string of misconduct incidents

A foreign woman was caught on camera vaping inside a security zone at Incheon International Airport, drawing complaints from fellow passengers.

JTBC's Sageon Banjang, a TV news program, reported Thursday on viewer-submitted footage showing the woman vaping at a gate in the airport.

The video shows the woman seated, glancing around before putting an e-cigarette to her lips and exhaling vapor. She appeared aware of stares from nearby passengers but continued anyway. No one at the scene was seen intervening.

The person who submitted the footage said it was recorded near a gate for a flight to China, adding that while the woman's nationality could not be confirmed, she was heard speaking Chinese with her companions.

Under Article 9, Paragraph 4, Item 14 of the National Health Promotion Act, waiting areas, platforms and below-ground passages at transportation facilities, including airports, are designated no-smoking zones. Anyone caught smoking in a designated no-smoking zone can be fined up to 100,000 won ($68).

The location is an indoor security zone where passengers wait to board after clearing departure screening. Smoking is prohibited throughout the area except in designated smoking rooms. E-cigarettes are subject to the same no-smoking rules as conventional cigarettes, meaning violators face fines if caught.

The incident is the latest in a series of rule violations by foreign passengers at Incheon Airport that have drawn public criticism.

On July 2, dozens of Chinese travelers at Terminal 1's departure hall were filmed ducking under queue barriers and cutting in line en masse, sparking widespread backlash. Airport staff were reportedly jostled and injured in the crowd.