Seoul airport ‘suicide flight’ threat sparks police manhunt in South Korea

Police in South Korea are hunting a person claiming to be a commercial pilot who threatened to carry out a “suicide flight” over Seoul’s Gimpo International Airport, voicing resentment over the merger between the country’s two largest airlines.The alarming message – posted on an anonymous online forum popular with office workers – also mentioned a stabbing, prompting authorities to increase security around the airport and verify the poster’s identity, police and aviation officials said on Monday.The since-deleted post expressed resentment over the consolidation of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, which was finalised in 2024 after years of scrutiny by global antitrust regulators.The two carriers are now in the midst of integrating staff, routes and branding, a process expected to stretch well into next year.An Asiana Airlines plane takes off from Incheon International Airport in Seoul on January 14. Photo: Korea TimesAn official at Korea Airports Corporation confirmed receiving a report about the incident and said the state-run operator was “checking the details”.