Incheon Airport grapples with foreign passenger misconduct, line‑cutting and e‑cigarette use

At Incheon International Airport in South Korea, a woman identified as a foreign passenger was filmed smoking an electronic cigarette in a non‑smoking security area near a boarding gate. The incident, captured on Feb 23 and reported by JTBC, showed the woman continuing to vape despite nearby passengers’ disapproval. Under Korean law, smoking in airport lounges and corridors can be fined up to 100,000 won.

The episode follows earlier footage of dozens of Chinese travelers rushing ahead of queues and ignoring barrier lines at the same terminal on Feb 2. The mass line‑cutting caused staff to be pushed, resulting in minor injuries to some airport employees. Airport officials have responded by stepping up on‑site inspections and are evaluating additional physical barriers to better control queue discipline. Both incidents have sparked public criticism of foreign passengers’ behavior and prompted calls for stricter enforcement of airport conduct rules.