Singer Finally Reveals What Happened On The Day He Got Caught Smoking On A Plane
In the latest video on the YouTube channel Song Seung Hwan’s Wonderful Life, hosted by actor Song Seung Hwan, singer Kim Jang Hoon revisited his 2014 controversy surrounding an in-flight smoking incident.
Song Seung Hwan brought up the incident, asking, “Back when you were returning from Paris… Was it because it’s such a smoker-friendly place there?” referring to the controversy that arose when Kim Jang Hoon was caught smoking on a flight. Kim Jang Hoon responded by recalling what a stressful situation he was going through at the time:
I had a performance scheduled in Italy. I was invited after being selected as ‘Singer of the Year’ for the Venice Carnival. The atmosphere there was amazing.
I had brought all my equipment, but the day before the performance, I found out that my instruments hadn’t arrived due to a delivery accident. Then I had a panic attack at the airport, so I took medication… and then I passed out. When I woke up, the performance was already over.
— Kim Jang Hoon
He added, “My credibility completely collapsed. I had gone there dreaming of making it big in Europe, but ended up ruining the performance.” In a desperate attempt to calm his nerves amid the chaos, Kim Jang Hoon revealed that he took even more meds that eventually led to a brief mental impairment.
On the flight back, I took my panic disorder medication, but even after taking it, I was so angry that it didn’t help.
I took 30 sleeping pills. I completely lost my senses, and I thought, ‘Will the alarms really go off [if I smoke in here]?’ So I went in and smoked a cigarette. And it really did go off.
— Kim Jang Hoon
When the news first broke, though, Kim Jang Hoon didn’t explain any of this. He shared, “I don’t like making excuses. Regardless of the reason, it was my fault. I just said I’ll do my best to live with a clear mind moving forward.”
He was fined ₩1.00 million KRW (about $667 USD) with a summary indictment after prosecutors took into account that it was his first offense and that he immediately apologized.
