SerpApi.Org
The airport experience is stressful enough, but imagine being met with a wave of sprinting passengers. In Seoul, that's exactly what travelers and staff are dealing with. Incheon Airport in South Korea-one of the world's busiest-is now considering additional barriers after videos of passengers running with their luggage has gone viral online.
A video filmed July 2 showed scores of passengers rushing to the check-in counters in the departure hall on the third floor of Terminal 1. They were reportedly trying to check in for a China-bound flight, and Chinese traders (locally called “diagou”)-who buy bulk duty-free goods in South Korea and sell them in Asian markets-are at the center of the controversy. They attempted to reach the counters first, ignoring all rules of polite behavior. It was also reported that several airport staff members were injured while trying to direct them to form queues.
What's worse, this isn't the first time it has happened. Traders have behaved similarly before; five incidents were reported in July alone.
To prevent these incidents and protect employees, the airport is considering installing plastic barriers between existing ones. The airport is also assigning employees to prevent people from jumping queues and from harming other passengers and staff.
Reports from Korean media also highlighted that the increase in congestion was caused by additional flight seats on routes between South Korea and China, with as many as 100 seats added.
Related: 10 Airport Perks That Will Make You Wish for a Longer Layover
Incheon is one of the world's busiest airports-and one of the best. In 25 years, the airport has processed 1 billion passengers. It serves 183 cities with 101 airlines, and every day, 108,000 passengers pass through it. The airport is designed to let waiting passengers experience Korean culture-there is a K-Pop zone, an interactive cultural street, and a movie theater. You can even go on free sightseeing tours if you have a longer layover.
But with so many passengers, unanticipated annoyances can arise.
Recently, tourists also received backlash for trying a travel hack at Incheon Airport. The airport's convenience stores do not offer hot water for cup noodles for hygiene and safety reasons. To get around this, tourists on social media platforms suggested that passengers go to the nursing rooms, where hot water is available. Some even provided detailed instructions on where to find hot water dispensers.
Mothers, however, have complained that tourists are disrupting them. Travelers are sleeping on sofas and leaving stains around sinks, they said. Nursing rooms are exclusively for mothers and pregnant women, and travelers are not allowed to misuse these spaces.
This serves as a reminder that not every travel hack you see on social media should be tried. Some travel hacks can make flying easier for everyone, but others have inspired everything from eyerolls to disgust. When in doubt, do a quick check on Reddit to see what other travelers think.
Related: This Is the Most Disgusting Travel Hack We've Heard in a Long Time
