A group of Chinese tourists caused chaos at Incheon Airport in South Korea by cutting in line, pushing luggage carts through barriers, and even injuring airport staff in the process. Many internet users initially suspected the video footage to be AI-generated but Korean media later confirmed the incident.
The viral video shows dozens of Chinese tourists at the departure hall on the 3rd floor of Incheon Airport’s Terminal 1, disregarding order, not following the queue lines, and instead bending down, pushing their luggage carts through control lines, and forcefully cutting in line towards the counter to process their procedures. (Video link)
The scene was chaotic with airport staff being pushed by tourists while trying to maintain order.
After the related videos surfaced on social media, they quickly circulated widely. Many internet users briefly doubted the authenticity of the scenes, but according to Korean news agency reports, the incident occurred in the early hours of July 2nd at the departure hall on the 3rd floor of Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 1.
The report stated that Incheon International Airport confirmed that there have been at least five instances of collective queue-cutting by Chinese tourists in July, mainly related to some Chinese “daigou” (referring to individuals who engage in large-scale cross-border purchasing) travelers. These types of Chinese travelers usually carry a large quantity of goods, rushing to complete the outbound process on time. Therefore, when the check-in counter opens, they cut in line to be the first to handle the departure procedures, creating chaos at the front of the queue.
Incheon International Airport also noted that airport staff were struck by the dense crowd, resulting in physical contusions and abrasions, requiring medical attention.
The airport mentioned that they would strengthen the maintenance of tourist queue order and consider installing plastic partitions between the flexible barriers in the queue area to prevent further incidents of queue-cutting.
The aforementioned video has been widely circulated on the internet, sparking discussions among Korean internet users: “What should be done about those who do not follow orders?”
Some internet users expressed their outrage, stating, “Refuse to handle boarding procedures as long as they cut in line.”
Others believed that this was the consequence of the government’s pro-China policies, saying, “When will the visa waiver for Chinese people be revoked? The people are in a dire situation, but the government turns a deaf ear.”