The vast majority of koreaBANG’s mangate/ladygate stories involved Average Joes on public transportation. Last week, we have seen the mangate trend evolve to a new level: A managing director of a big Korean conglomerate, POSCO, hit a flight attendant with a magazine for serving undercooked ramen. As the story went viral, netizens hunted down the managing director Mr. Wang’s personal information and gave birth to a bunch of internet parodies (photoshopped face above and below). Pressured by the public, he resigned from the position shortly after his company apologised for the incident.
From Joongang Ilbo:
‘What is wrong with this ramen’ Board Member of POSCO Energy Acts Ugly to Flight Attendant
Mr A, one of the board members of POSCO Energy, recently assaulted a female flight attendant during the flight out of dissatisfaction with her service. The airline announced that the company is looking into legal measures to take regarding the assault case.
According to related industries and social network services, Mr A got on a Korean Air plane to Los Angeles where he hit the flight attendant’s head with a magazine, saying ‘Airline meal isn’t to my liking.’
Mr A said the rice in his meal was undercooked, and demanded to be served ramen. Even when he had his ramen, it was not up to his standards either; the flight attendant brought freshly cooked ramen over and over again to no avail but assault by the customer. He hit the flight attendant’s head with a magazine.
The cabin crew and captain reported the case to the FBI and the airport officers. The FBI agents made him choose between two options: 1) getting entry to the USA and being investigated, 2) going straight back to South Korea. He chose the latter.
Existing laws state that passengers are not allowed to do any acts that may disrupt the flight or in-flight safety, such as assault, threats, and fraudulent plans. Also, the captain may take necessary measures including reporting the persons who do the following: hindering in-flight safety, inflicting harm to people and/or property, creating disorder or violating the safety rules.
The airline showed intention to escalate the assault case to the courts. An associate of Korean Air said ‘In-flight assault or disorders may affect severely on safety,’ and ‘We’ve got principles on how to respond to such a case, including legal options.’ Yet, he stated that the company has not decided whether to sue the passenger.
POSCO Energy is first going to get facts right before deciding what needs to be done to Mr A. An associate of the company said, ‘There is an ongoing internal investigation for the case. It is too early to confirm anything,’ and ‘We will take any necessary measures once the investigation is done.’
Most netizens find that Mr A’s misbehaviour is not up to their taste. One Twitter user (@su***) said, ‘The service of Korean Airline is almost perfect. How ugly he must have been for the captain to report the situation even before the plane landed on the ground?’ A different user (@tr***) said, ‘I hope the airline is not going to impose any disadvantages on the employee for reporting this case! I applaud the flight attendant’s patience to serve ramen 6 times.’
‘POSCO Ramen’, ‘Face slapping taste’, ‘Recommended by the Emperor of In-flight Meals’, ‘Gaenyom-free’
Comments from Daum:
솔로몬:
To Korean Airline: I hope you’ll take advantage of this incident to defend your rights. Though I’ve only been on one of your long-distance flights once, I could see the flight attendants tried to please everyone, even naughty children; I felt grateful my own children are not flight attendants. I hope the assaulted lady gets the apology she deserves with the support of Korean Airlines.
임용석:
Maybe he thinks being a Managing Director of POSCO allows him to do what he does to his subordinates. Saekkis like him are the shame of this nation. Quit working and eat ramen as much as you want.
메탈:
Take serious measures? It’s a no-brainer to imagine how that jerk has been working, his act should be a reflection of the office culture!
전박사:
He claimed ‘The flight attendant ran into the magazine I was holding’. If North Korea launches a missile, this guy, Wang Hee-seong, would say ‘The target ran into the missile’. The National Intelligence Service has to start investigating him to see whether he’s a spy.
.
이상운:
Congratulations, Hee-seong! You’ve been trying hard for this moment; now you’ve got what you always wanted! You deserve to be called as the face of POSCO Energy.
아침이슬:
Bring an assault charge against him. And from now on, don’t let unqualified board members go abroad unless they’re going to be on a ship.
☆~알타이르~★:
Let’s see how ‘serious measures’ are going to be taken.
캡틴:
I’ve heard Woori Bank once mentioned a POSCO employee as an example to explain how to deal with jerk customers during an interview with a newspaper. Reading this article, POSCO has jerk employees from the top to the bottom of the ladder. Oh and Woori Bank apologised to POSCO, taking down the interview article. Korean Air, on the other hand, is suing the company. Korean Air and Woori Bank are both consumer-facing services, yet they’ve got totally different philosophies on how to treat their employees. POSCO workers need some ‘character education’. My friends working for POSCO are snobbier than Blue House-employed friends.. ha.. I should just stop talking..
청춘아:
If Korean Air is taking a stand on this incident and sues the jerk, I’ll only use their flights from now on. Don’t flight attendants deserve to be treated as humans? The article makes me angry like hell.
말똥가리:
Managing Director Wang, you’re more than capable of raping on a flight! Fuck you!!
겨울엔집이제일좋아:
That nom shouldn’t be a board member of POSCO Energy! He must have some sort of depression or mental disorder; he should quit the job and turn himself in to the hospital. He must compensate the flight attendant 100 millions of Won or go to jail.
js-n:
Fire him.
BiGbanG:
This is what favouritism can offer; he wouldn’t have been hired without Lee Myung-bak’s influence.
초이:
Such a dog shouldn’t be allowed to on board a plane.. It only deserves bean paste..
하얀돌:
.. How dare the managing director hit a hot flight attendant? Ah Ssibal nom
정원:
His boss has trained him wrong.
매버릭:
Fire him… Stop trying to be clever to get out of this situation.
Hephzibah:
Ssibal nom!! You’re like a bastard not born from a human but a dog.
정원:
Asshole
티카나무:
I feel so sorry for his subordinates. He must’ve been harassing them hard all the time..
“Researcher Mr. Wang (previously worked for POSCO Energy) is examining the elasticity of the noodle.”
