Asiana Airlines faces backlash for mislabeling Ukrainian cities as Russian territory on in-flight map
South Korea's Asiana Airlines Inc. on Friday came under fire for mislabeling two Ukrainian cities as part of Russia on its in-flight infotainment system, drawing criticism from Ukrainian nationals and social media users.
According to a passenger who shared a photo on Instagram, the cities of Dnipro (formerly Dnepropetrovsk) and Donetsk appeared under Russian territory on the airline's digital map.
The labeling is not found on Asiana's official website, suggesting the issue may be limited to the in-flight entertainment platform.
In an Instagram direct message exchange, Yuliana Romaniv, the Ukrainian passenger who uploaded the photo on social media, told Yonhap News Agency that the photo was taken Wednesday on an Incheon-London flight.
"It was heartbreaking, honestly. Dnipro was never under Russian occupation, so that was a shock for me," Romaniv said. "A lot of Ukrainians lost their loved ones who went to defend those cities, and seeing it labeled as Russian territory was very painful."
Romaniv said she notified Asiana Airlines of the blunder via social media "but (I) haven't gotten a response yet."
The controversy has prompted angry responses on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
"So now South Korean airlines are siding with Russia? Why? Dnipro and Donetsk are part of Ukraine, not Russia!" one user wrote.
Another sarcastically commented, "Seoul is part of North Korea, right?"
Romaniv added, "It might be better to see that they're actually trying to fix this; otherwise, people will be getting more upset, I think."
Asiana Airlines was recently acquired by local industry leader Korean Air Lines Co.
The company has acknowledged the error in its in-flight map and said it has immediately requested the outside software developer to correct the issue.
The supplier of the in-flight infotainment system was known to be a unit of Japan's Panasonic Holdings Corp.
Ukraine has been engaged in war with Russia since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Donetsk, a major city in eastern Ukraine, remains under Russian occupation but is internationally recognized as part of Ukrainian territory.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
6 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Russia's security chief meets Kim Jong-un to discuss Ukraine, peninsula issues
Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang for discussions on Ukraine and security issues involving the Korean Peninsula, the Russian Embassy in North Korea said Wednesday. In a Facebook post, the embassy said the two sides discussed cooperation in various fields and exchanged views on the situation surrounding the Ukrainian crisis and the Korean Peninsula. Shoigu departed for home later in the day, it added. Russia's Ria Novosti also reported on Shoigu's meeting with Kim, citing the embassy's social media post. The Russian news agency Tass reported earlier that Shoigu traveled to the North on instructions from President Vladimir Putin. The visit came amid speculation that Kim may visit Russia for a summit with Putin to mark the first anniversary of their signing of a mutual defense treaty in June last year, which led to North Korea's deployment of thousands of troops on the Russian side in the war against Ukraine. Citing Russia's Security Council, Tass said that Kim and Shoigu are expected to discuss the implementation of the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty and the commemoration of North Korean forces who fought in the Russia-Ukraine war. The agenda may also include international issues, such as those involving Ukraine, it said. Shoigu's visit came less than three months after he traveled to North Korea to meet the North's leader to discuss cooperation between the two nations. His trip also came just a week after North Korea's State Security Minister Ri Chang-dae held a meeting with him in Moscow on the occasion of an international meeting of high-level security officials. During that meeting, Ri and Shoigu reportedly discussed issues related to North Korea's deployment of troops to support Russia in the war against Ukraine. Amid stringent international sanctions, North Korea has turned to Russia for resources and cooperation and is believed to have received rare defense technologies to advance its nuclear and missile arsenals in exchange for troop deployment and arms supplies. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Czech court cancels injunction banning nuclear power plant contract with Korea's KHNP: report
A Czech court has canceled an injunction banning the signing of a multibillion-dollar nuclear power plant contract with South Korea, lifting a major hurdle in the final agreement between the two sides, the Korean company in charge of the project said Wednesday. The Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) confirmed media reports that the Czech Supreme Administrative Court overturned the injunction that has prevented the European nation's Elektrarna Dukovany II (EDU II), the entity in charge of the project, and the South Korean consortium, led by KHNP, from signing the final contract to build two new nuclear power units in Dukovany nuclear power plant. The move came following EDU II's appeal last month against a local court decision to issue an injunction temporarily suspending the finalization of the estimated 26 trillion-won ($18.6 billion) deal at the request of French energy company EDF, a losing bidder in the tender process. The KHNP had initially planned to sign the final agreement with EDU II on May 7 to build two 1,063-megawatt reactors at the Czech power plant, located about 170 kilometers southeast of Prague. If the deal is finalized, it will mark South Korea's first overseas nuclear power plant contract since 2009, when the country secured a deal to build the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates. "The KHNP welcomes the Czech supreme court's decision to reverse the injunction and looks forward to swiftly signing a final contract with Prague," the Korean company said. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
12 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Seoul shares spike nearly 3% on hope for policy push under Lee administration
South Korean shares closed nearly 3 percent higher Wednesday on hopes for a policy push by the Lee Jae-myung government. The Korean won also rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 71.87 points, or 2.66 percent, to close at 2,770.84. Trade volume was heavy at 485.85 million shares worth 11.95 trillion won ($8.7 billion), with gainers beating losers 798 to 119. Foreign and institutional investors bought a net 1.05 trillion won and 203.48 billion won, respectively, while individuals sold a net 1.22 trillion won. Analysts said foreign investors picked up local stocks on expectations that the new administration would support key sectors. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.51 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.81 percent. Lee Jae-myung of the liberal Democratic Party won the presidential election, defeating Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party. The vote followed the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol after martial law was imposed in December. Lee began his five-year term earlier in the day. Most large-cap stocks advanced. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics rose 1.76 percent to 57,800 won, and its rival SK hynix jumped 4.82 percent to 217,500 won. Top carmaker Hyundai Motor climbed 1.09 percent to 186,000 won, and national flag carrier Korean Air gained 0.66 percent to 22,800 won. Mirae Asset Securities surged 13.25 percent to 17,690 won on expectations tied to Lee's pledge to usher in a "KOSPI 5,000 era" by reviving economic growth. Leading battery maker LG Energy Solution rose 1.41 percent to 288,500 won, and No. 1 steelmaker POSCO Holdings was up 0.61 percent to 245,500 won. Among losers, state-run utility Korea Electric Power Corp. fell 1.5 percent to 29,650 won, and top cosmetics firm AmorePacific declined 0.15 percent to 134,100 won. The local currency was quoted at 1,369.50 won against the greenback at 3:30 p.m., up 3.6 won from the previous session. (Yonhap)
