Passenger's mid-taxi exit delays Jeju-bound flight carrying 191 at Cheongju airport

A Jeju-bound flight at Cheongju airport was delayed by about an hour Thursday after a passenger asked to disembark, citing a family emergency.

The passenger, a man in his 40s identified only as A, boarded Jin Air flight LJ401 and then asked to be let off at around 11:47 a.m. Thursday, saying his father was in critical condition due to a chronic illness.

The flight had already been running behind its scheduled 11:25 a.m. departure when A made his request — at a point when the aircraft had left the boarding bridge and was taxiing toward the runway.

After A deplaned, police and the National Intelligence Service verified his identity and searched the area around his seat, delaying the departure further.

The security check followed standard protocol requiring authorities to inspect an aircraft for explosives or other threats whenever a passenger disembarks before takeoff.

The plane was carrying 191 other passengers at the time. After completing the security procedures, it took off at around 12:25 p.m. and landed at Jeju International Airport at around 1:10 p.m.

The flight had been scheduled to depart at 11:25 a.m. and arrive at 12:40 p.m.

"Nothing unusual, including any explosives, was found during the search," a Cheongju airport official said.