A controversy has erupted after footage of a senior pastor from a prominent South Korean church receiving what some have called VIP treatment at a U.S. airport was shared by an American journalist.
According to social media reports, on January 31, freelance journalist Joe Andalaro posted a video on his Instagram showing Pastor Lee Yong-hoon, head of the Yoido Full Gospel Church, going through the check-in process at Los Angeles International Airport.
Andalaro, a former entertainment reporter, is known for creating content that involves interviewing or filming celebrities in public spaces such as airports.
The video shows several men in suits waiting at the airport entrance, who then surround the pastor as he exits a luxury sedan to assist him. These individuals are reportedly affiliated with the Los Angeles branch of the Full Gospel Church.
Andalaro can be heard repeatedly asking, “Who is this? Is he the President of South Korea? He must be someone really important.” He even counted the number of staff members providing assistance on-site, repeatedly inquiring about the identity of the individual.
Church officials, upon realizing they were being filmed, attempted to intervene, leading to a confrontation with Andalaro. They demanded he stop filming, but he countered, “This is a public place.” The dispute continued even after the pastor moved inside the airport and lined up at the Korean Air first-class counter.
As church staff persisted in obstructing the filming, Andalaro asserted his right to film under the First Amendment, referencing the general legality of filming in public places according to the U.S. Constitution. In contrast, church officials argued that filming a specific individual could constitute harassment and asked for Andalaro’s personal information, which visibly upset him.
At the time of the incident, Pastor Lee was reportedly returning from a visit to the U.S. for the “2026 Korea-U.S. Leaders Prayer Meeting,” which he had attended on January 26. Following the video’s release, many American social media users criticized the church’s response and the nature of their VIP treatment.
Some commenters argued that individuals uncomfortable with being filmed have the right to refuse and that it is courteous to stop filming if requested politely.
In response to the controversy, the Los Angeles branch of the Full Gospel Church issued a statement through the Hankyoreh newspaper. They explained that they were simply assisting with the farewell of a former pastor and respected elder of the denomination, emphasizing that their actions were not intended to control or restrict. The church added, “We regret that our polite request to stop filming, made in consideration of privacy and safety, was not accepted. We apologize for any unnecessary misunderstandings that arose from this incident.”
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