K-pop soloist Soyou has drawn renewed attention after publicly posting about a troubling flight experience. The former Sistar member said she faced what she believed to be racially or culturally insensitive treatment on a flight from the United States to Korea.
Shortly after her claims, she found herself battling online rumors that she was drunk during the incident.
Recently, she confirmed she received a formal apology from Delta Air Lines via email. She announced she is prepared to take legal action against those spreading false allegations.
Soyou’s Account of Discrimination: What Really Happened?
According to Soyou, after finishing her work schedule in New York, she boarded a connecting flight from Atlanta to Seoul. She said she was “extremely tired.” Therefore, she asked for a Korean-speaking cabin attendant to verify the in-flight meal schedule.
She claims that, as a result of her request, the purser and a security officer arrived at her seat. They treated her as a “problematic passenger,” and subjected her to cold stares and unfriendly attitudes for the remainder of the 15-hour journey.
She insisted she boarded without any restriction, saying that she only consumed a small amount of alcohol in the lounge before boarding and that the issue was one of misunderstanding rather than intoxication.
The Eruption of Online Rumors
Almost immediately after Soyou’s initial statement, an anonymous online comment surfaced from someone claiming to be on the same flight. The post claims that Soyou was intoxicated, refused a meal, and caused a disturbance.
That claim intensified public debate. Some netizens supported Soyou’s story of mistreatment, while others questioned the reliability of her account. The airline itself had not publicly responded in detail at that point.
Delta’s Apology and Soyou’s Response
This week, Soyou confirmed via social media that she has received an apology from Delta. “This week, I received an apology via email from Delta Air Lines,” she wrote.
She expressed gratitude to those who empathized and said that thanks to their support, she was able to return to daily life. At the same time, she made clear that she would no longer address the matter through public channels.
Still, she would “respond firmly and take legal action against groundless speculation, unverified falsehoods or defamatory statements” that infringe her personal rights.
What Will Happen After Delta Airline’s Apology?
While the formal apology appears to mark one milestone, there are still open questions. Delta has not publicly released a full explanation or clarification, nor has it provided a detailed account of the internal review (if any).
From Soyou’s side, she has stated she will leave the matter to her legal team and will not continue to address it via media channels. Whether any formal investigation or public report will follow remains to be seen.
In the meantime, her experience is likely to prolong the conversation about airline service standards, passenger-crew interactions, and how quickly social media can amplify conflicting narratives.
Final Thoughts
In the entertainment world, reputation is everything. For Soyou, the flight incident and subsequent rumor storm brought personal discomfort and professional risk. Her receiving an apology from Delta signals that the airline acknowledged something at least warranted redress. Whether that means admission of fault, policy change, or further scrutiny is unclear.
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