Article from Hankyoreh:
Korean Air Tries to Placate 1st Class Passenger Who Sat Near Cho Hyun-ah With an Airplane Model and Calendar.
On December 12th, the former vice president of Korean Air Cho Hyun-ah appeared at the aviation safety inspector’s office to announce her apology.
After the “nut return” caused by Cho Hyun-ah(40), former vice president of Korean Air, we now know that Korean Air tried to placate the only other first-class passenger on board that day to witness the incident. The prosecution has secured the statement of this passenger, who sent messages via a messaging application to her friend detailing the former vice president Cho’s violent outburst and coarse language.
The prosecution plans to investigate the former vice president Cho, and will notify her to be present.
Lee Geun-soo, the head of the Criminal Investigation Department 5 at the Western District Public Prosecutor’s Court in Seoul, announced that they questioned Park(32) as a witness. She was the first-class passenger sitting directly in front of Cho. Park testified in detail saying, “Cho swore at the flight attendant, ‘What kind of f*cking bit** is this?’ She pushed the flight attendant for three meters to the boarding door. She rolled up the service manual and hit it against the wall near the flight attendant.”
Park sent messages to her friend in real time using Naver Line about Cho’s violent behavior and verbal abuse, and she submitted all of her [Naver Line] records. A person from the prosecution said, “I felt like I was watching the situation on video, the records were so vivid.” Park was the only other passenger. She got a flight upgrade to first-class, giving her the opportunity to witness Cho’s violent outburst.
After the prosecution’s investigation, she told reporters that, “I complained to Korean Air after coming back to Korea. However, I didn’t get a reply until the media reported about the incident. And then, an executive of Korean Air called me saying ‘To apologize to you, we would like to give you an airplane model and a calendar. If you have a chance to be interviewed, please say you’ve received our sincere apology.'”
A person from the prosecution stated, “We need to consider what Cho did earlier as a crime of business obstruction and destruction of evidence, rather than as an employer-employee relationship issues, or just an argument. We’re going to summon Cho as a defendant.”
Comments from Daum:
덧니공주님:
Well done, witness!
mika님:
Under these kinds of circumstances, if Cho doesn’t go to jail, it will be the end of justice in Korea.
청정원배추님:
An airplane model and a calendar ke ke. She was stressed out from the flight, and more importantly, her safety was threatened so…an airplane model and a calendar? Hey, of course you were supposed to refund her flight ticket. Are you kidding me? keke. An airplane model and a calendar, ke ke. We are going to give you an airplane model and a calendar~~
신의손님 :
Korean Air can’t think. Very cool for them to try to placate a person in her thirties with a toy and a calendar.
라벤더님 :
At first I thought Cho was just being bossy but as I get more information, I’m starting to think it’s not a good idea to fly Korean Air. The way they handle risk leaves me speechless.. This should be what they are preparing for if there is some problem with the flight…sends shivers down my spine.
도지현영님:
Should’ve spent more money. In this serious a situation, they gave an airplane model, not a real one? Whoever was in charge of this can’t seem to do their job.
닭깡님:
Korean Air! They are stingy till they have to deal with an upset customer. They aren’t fit to be a top airline.
argentina님:
After the terror attack, according to the regulation of ICAO(International Civil Aviation Organization) and IATA(International Air Transport Association), unaccompanied baggage isn’t allowed at all. If the crew member got off the plane and the plane came all the way here with [her] luggage on board, it would be a serious security breach. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport should conduct intensive investigation into this as well.
ymj님:
Even though they will try to escape the situation using money and lies, imprison her for violating aviation law.
솔솔바람님:
I was wondering what the passenger did since she was young but now I read that she got a flight upgrade. I think this is why Korean Air didn’t apologize properly. If she was old, I don’t think it would be easy for her to tell her story like this. Thank goodness.
구리구리님:
A flight upgrade from business to the first class ended up badly… She might have thought she could be more comfortable but then she ended up shaking, nervous, and uncomfortable. She might think Korean Air was messing with her when they gave her just an airplane model and a calendar.
수부티님 :
Suppose you were in her shoes. You spent ten-thousand won for the flight, and after you watched all that, and complained to the call center, they tell you that they will give you a calendar and an airplane model, who wouldn’t be pissed off? ke ke. An airplane model and a calendar.. ke ke. This is the low level of Cho’s family.
멸치다님 :
An airplane model and a calendar, ke ke. I thought there had been a plausible deal, ke ke. They should have let her use their company card to entertain herself, ke ke. Korean Air are showing their true colors.
blessingsu님:
How funny of her to keep lying even though the first-class passenger was a witness? Get rid of her.
와이즈커피님:
If Korean Air wanted to shut her up, they should have given her one hundred million one. How can an airplane model and calendar be enough?
