Complaint Filed Over Byun Woo-seok’s Excessive Security Controversy with Human Rights Commission

An article titled “Complaint Filed with National Human Rights Commission of Korea on Byun Woo-seok’s Excessive Security Controversy”was published in online communities on July 14th. The author of the post captured a screenshot of the website page showing the successful submission of a civil complaint to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.

We have filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea through a national newspaper today, citing this as a violation of human rights under the Human Rights Act.

The complaint stated that, based on Article 30(1) of the National Human Rights Commission Act and subject to the committee’s investigation, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea should conduct a thorough investigation into the excessive security controversy involving Byun Woo-seok. They also emphasized that if any illegal acts are discovered, they strongly urge for strict measures to be taken, including requesting an investigation and necessary actions by the prosecution and the head of investigative agency, as outlined in Article 34(1) of the same Act.

On the 12th, Byun Woo-seok arrived at Incheon International Airport to depart for his fanmeeting in Hong Kong. Several videos taken at the airport, which featured Byun Woo-seok and bystanders, went viral on X (formerly Twitter). A video showing the bodyguard shining flashlights at regular passengers near Byun Woo-seok sparked controversy.

Despite being hired to protect Byun Woo-seok as a celebrity, the bodyguard sparked complaints for shining flashlights at innocent bystanders. These actions were deemed unnecessary as no one had attempted to approach or physically harm the actor. The situation was further exacerbated by the presence of many children at the airport during the incident, intensifying criticism towards the bodyguard.

In response to the negative public backlash, the security company responsible for protecting Byun Woo-seok released a statement through a media outlet acknowledging their mistake of using flashlights on regular passengers. They expressed regret for any inconvenience caused and stated, “Due to the increase in fans at the airport because of Byun Woo-seok, there is a higher risk of accidents. We will ensure our staff receive proper training to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.”