Singer recounts a 15-plus-hour flight marked by perceived bias

Soyou, a former member of K-pop girl group Sistar, took to social media on the 19th to share the story behind a flight she described as deeply uncomfortable. She posted a photo of an airline boarding pass and detailed what happened on board.

After wrapping up a New York schedule, Soyou boarded a Korea-bound flight with a layover in Atlanta. Exhausted, she says she asked a Korean flight attendant to help her check meal times. In response, the chief purser allegedly judged her behavior and treated her as a troublesome passenger, abruptly calling security.

“I even had to say, ‘If I’m the problem, I’ll get off,’” she wrote. She said she endured cold stares and a distant attitude for the entire flight, and at that moment wondered, “Is this racism?”

During the more-than-15-hour flight, she claims she was unable to eat anything, and she described the experience as a wound inflicted by racial bias. “I hope no one is ever suspected or insulted because of their race,” she added.

Separately, Soyou has been pursuing new opportunities this year. In April, she signed an exclusive contract with Magic Strawberry Sound and released the new track “PDA.” The label is led by singer Jung Gi-go. Soyou and Jung Gi-go previously dominated various music charts with their 2014 hit “Some.”