Lawyer says Park Su-hong not criminally liable for flight delay but compensation rules needed

Amid a growing controversy over broadcaster Park Su-hong's role in delaying a flight departure, a practicing lawyer said civil compensation rules are needed even if no criminal liability applies.

Han Jang-heon, managing attorney at Win & Partners Law Firm, posted a video Wednesday to his YouTube channel titled "Park Su-hong's Guam flight delay controversy — violation of aviation security law? Civil damages claim?"

Han opened by summarizing the incident. "A baby was crying, so they decided to deplane. Then they reboarded. That reportedly caused about a 70-minute departure delay," he said.

He then addressed whether the incident constituted a violation of aviation security law and pushed back on claims of celebrity preferential treatment. "I personally don't think it rises to that level," he said.

However, Han said some degree of accountability is warranted when a passenger's actions cause harm to a large number of fellow travelers.

"Even if it doesn't rise to the level of criminal punishment, I think airline terms and conditions should include provisions requiring financial compensation for a certain degree of damage," he said. "Otherwise, how would people learn that they can't just inconvenience others as they please?"

Earlier, Park and his family boarded a Korean Air business-class flight from Incheon International Airport to Guam on Thursday. According to fellow passengers, Park told the crew he wished to deplane after his daughter would not stop crying.

Checked baggage was offloaded from the aircraft, but Park then reversed his decision, causing a roughly one-hour departure delay. The incident sparked debate over both Park's conduct and whether the airline handled the situation appropriately.

Some online commenters defended him, arguing that his initial intention was to avoid disturbing other passengers and that the episode could not be dismissed as purely selfish behavior. Others countered that one family's change of mind had disrupted the schedules of many passengers and that some responsibility was unavoidable.

As the controversy spread, Park issued a public apology Wednesday on his Instagram account.

"I caused great inconvenience by taking up the precious time of many people, and I also caused trouble for airline staff," Park said. "I sincerely bow my head in apology." He added that he had exercised poor judgment and that the incident stemmed entirely from his own ignorance of aviation procedures, saying there was no excuse.

Meanwhile, Park married Kim Da-ye in 2021. The couple welcomed a daughter, Jaei, in 2024 through in vitro fertilization.