The ruling from the Seoul Southern District Court, dated August 18, centered on the men’s refusal to comply with cabin staff during a domestic route. Both were found guilty under the Aviation Security Act. One is 64 years old, the other 68.
According to the court’s account, the older of the two paced the aisle while calling out, “Hallelujah, you will go to hell.” His companion planted himself in the aisle even as attendants tried again and again to get him to sit, telling those around him, “You will go to hell if you don’t believe in Jesus.” When staff moved in to caution the pair, the response they got was, “Don’t try to lecture me.”
The trip in question left Jeju bound for Gimpo, departing around 3:40 p.m. on March 12. The court found that the two men brushed aside objection after objection from both crew and other travelers, letting the commotion run for roughly 13 minutes.
The defense the pastors mounted rested on the claim that what they did failed to satisfy what the Aviation Security Act treats as a “disturbance,” and that they never meant to create a scene. Judges were not persuaded. “Based on the lawfully collected evidence, both the defendants’ disruptive conduct and their intent to cause it have been established,” the ruling stated.
The statute the men were convicted under is written to keep flights safe by prohibiting verbal abuse, disruptive conduct, and anything that puts other passengers at risk. It also grants pilots and cabin crew the authority to physically restrain a passenger who keeps causing trouble, using tools such as taser guns and binding ropes, with police free to launch an investigation once the aircraft is on the ground.
