KLM executives including Guillaume Glass (second from right), general manager for Korea at KLM, apologize over the recent incident during a press conference in Seoul on Friday. (Yonhap)



The Netherlands’ flag carrier KLM Royal Dutch Airlines apologized Friday for banning South Koreans from using a restroom on a plane amid coronavirus concerns.



According to a Korean passenger onboard the KLM 855 flight bound for Incheon from Amsterdam on Monday, a hand-written note that read “cabin crew exclusive restroom” in Korean was posted on the door of a restroom.

Koreans made up 135 out of 279 passengers on the plane.



When a passenger asked why the note was written only in Korean, a KLM crew member said they had posted an English version next to it and that it was to protect the cabin crew’s health so they could “do the work for passengers.”



After the story went viral online and was reported in the Korean media, public criticism mounted, demanding an explanation from KLM about designating a restroom for crew and why the sign was written only in Korean.





A hand-written note that reads “cabin crew exclusive restroom” is posted on the door of a restroom on KLM flight.