He touched me, then hugged me: Korean tourist on Bengaluru airport assault

Dubai: A Korean woman tourist who was sexually assaulted at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport has spoken publicly about her ordeal, describing how a man she believed to be an airport official exploited her trust and abused his position, NDTV reported.

Kim Sung Kyung, who has consented to reveal her identity, said the assault took place after she had completed immigration formalities and was heading towards the terminal to board a flight back to South Korea. The accused, later identified as Mohammed Affan, approached her claiming there was an issue with her luggage.

“He told me my bag made a ‘beep beep’ sound and that I needed to undergo a personal check,” Kyung told NDTV. “He sounded professional, serious, and authoritative. I believed him.”

Affan, a ground staffer employed by Air India SATS, allegedly took her towards the men’s washroom area, explaining procedures and airport protocols along the way. Kyung said nothing initially appeared suspicious because the man wore an airline tag and spoke with confidence.

“I thought this must be related to security,” she said. “Since my immigration was already done, I believed everything was for safety reasons.”

Once near the washroom, Kyung said Affan subjected her to an inappropriate physical check, touching and squeezing her body in a manner that immediately made her uncomfortable. “It was not a normal body check. It was very inappropriate,” she said.

As she tried to process what had happened, Affan allegedly hugged her casually and said “thank you” — a moment Kyung described as the instant she realised something was terribly wrong. “I was freaked out,” she said. “That hug made me understand this was not official.”

Her immediate concern, she said, was to get away safely. With boarding time approaching, she approached Singapore Airlines staff, who told her unequivocally that such a personal check was not standard procedure. Airline officials then assisted her in lodging a complaint.

Airport security personnel quickly detained Affan and handed him over to the police. Investigators reviewed CCTV footage, which police said corroborated the tourist’s account. A case was registered based on Kyung’s complaint, and Affan was arrested.

Kyung, who was visiting India for the first time, said the incident shattered her sense of safety. “He looked like someone with authority. That’s why I trusted him,” she told NDTV. “I never imagined this could happen inside an international airport.”

Air India SATS, which provides ground and cargo handling services at major airports, described the incident as “unpardonable”. The company said Affan has been terminated from service with immediate effect and that an internal inquiry is underway to strengthen safeguards and prevent any recurrence.

Police said the case highlights serious concerns about misuse of authority and impersonation within secure airport zones, and investigations are continuing.

For Kyung, the trauma remains fresh — but she said speaking out was important. “I don’t want this to happen to anyone else,” she said.