Security staff checks a passenger in the departure hall at Incheon international airport, west of Seoul, on March 17, 2020. Photo by AFP
South Korean authorities are investigating a security lapse at Incheon International Airport after a passenger boarded an international flight carrying a small kitchen knife that went undetected during screening.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on May 19 it had launched an investigation into how the prohibited item passed through airport security and whether the incident violated the Aviation Security Act, The Korea Herald reported.
The incident occurred at about 6:20 p.m. on May 17 when the female passenger aboard an Etihad Airways flight bound for Abu Dhabi informed cabin crew that she had discovered a 9-cm kitchen knife inside her carry-on luggage.
The passenger, who is in her 50s, reportedly told authorities she had used the knife earlier to peel fruit on her way to the airport and accidentally forgot it inside her bag, Seoul Economic Daily reported.
