The singer says a purser labeled her a ‘problem passenger’ and security was called during a New York–to–Korea trip.

Soyou, the former SISTAR member, has spoken out about racial discrimination she says she faced on a flight home from the United States. After wrapping up a schedule in New York, she boarded a connection through Atlanta bound for Korea. Exhausted, she requested a Korean-speaking flight attendant to confirm when meals would be served, but the lead flight attendant treated her attitude as problematic, effectively labeling her a “troublesome passenger.” A security guard was suddenly brought into the situation.

“I said, ‘If I’m the problem, I’ll deplane,’” she recalled. She endured more than 15 hours of flight time under cold stares and an unfriendly demeanor. In that moment, she wondered whether what she was experiencing qualified as racism. She did not eat anything for over 15 hours, and the episode left a deep wound rooted in prejudice. She hopes no one will be subjected to suspicion or insult simply because of their race.

Her account comes amid ongoing discussions about racial bias in U.S. airlines, with several recent reports of Asian passengers facing unfair treatment in the American aviation industry.