Korean Air CEO apologizes for daughter's 'foolish act'

[Rihanna]

I have read stories of spoilt brats, but this one has taken it to another level, involving interfering with aviation regulations. A classic case of having wealth and position due to bad karma.


http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/korean-airlines-ceo-daughter-apologize-for-macadamia-nut-rage-incident-1.2870789

The Korean Air Lines Co. executive who delayed a flight in an incident dubbed "nut rage" bowed deep in apology Friday before facing questioning by transport officials. Her father, the airline's chairman, also apologized and said he regrets he didn't raise her better.

The apologies came in response to simmering public anger about the incident and the airline's handling of it.

Cho Hyun-ah, who was head of cabin service at Korean Air, was angered when a flight attendant in first class offered her macadamia nuts in a bag, not on a plate. She ordered a senior crew member off the plane, forcing it to return to the gate at John F. Kennedy airport in New York City.

"I sincerely apologize. I'm sorry," a gloomy-faced Cho said before droves of journalists in an almost inaudible, trembling voice. She said she will meet the victimized crew member and "apologize sincerely."
Cho Hyun-ah

Cho Hyun-ah, who was head of cabin service at Korean Air and the oldest child of Korean Air chairman Cho Yang-ho, speaks to the media upon her arrival for questioning Friday in Seoul. (Lee Jin-man/The Associated Press)

Clad in a long black coat, she lowered her face as she made the brief comments without making eye contact. It was her first public appearance since the Dec. 5 incident. Transport Ministry officials had summoned Cho for questioning over the possibility her actions violated aviation safety law.

Hours before her apology, Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho also made a deep bow before journalists. He called his daughter's behavior foolish and said he regrets he didn't raise her better.

"It's my fault," he said. "As chairman and father, I ask for the public's generous forgiveness."

Cho Hyun-ah's actions caused an uproar in South Korea and abroad. South Korean media called the 40-year-old a princess and some Koreans said she was an international embarrassment to her country.

Despite the anger, many South Koreans were not surprised by Cho's display of entitlement
Hyun-ah to resign from all executive positions

There was once respect in South Korea for the families that founded the industrial conglomerates, known as chaebol, which helped modernize the country and make it wealthy. Nowadays there is growing criticism of ostentatious wealth and unfettered power.

The criticism is particularly directed at the newest generation, which is inheriting the business empires founded by their fathers and grandfathers. All three children of Cho Yang-ho rose quickly to the top ranks of the airline, holding executive roles in it and affiliate companies.

"It's something that people haven't openly talked about but it was only a matter of time" before bad behaviour would cross a red line for the public, said Kim Seul-ki, a 28-year-old office worker. "We often hear about not just Korean Air but other chaebol families acting recklessly."

In a separate probe, prosecutors searched the headquarters of Korean Air Lines on Thursday after a civil society group made a complaint about Cho's behaviour on the plane.

Korean Air Lines had earlier excused her behaviour even as it apologized for inconveniencing passengers. The flight bound for South Korea was delayed by 20 minutes due to the incident.

Earlier this week, Cho resigned as Korean Air's head of cabin service but retained other executive roles at the airline and its affiliated companies. Her father said Friday she is resigning from executive roles at all affiliates of Hanjin, the group that controls Korean Air.



http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Korean-Air-CEO-apologizes-for-daughters-foolish-act/articleshow/45490202.cms

SEOUL: Korean Air CEO Cho Yang-Ho publicly apologized on Friday after his daughter triggered public anger and ridicule by kicking the head of cabin crew off a flight because of the way she had been served some nuts.

Addressing a televised press conference, Cho apologized for his daughter Cho Hyun-Ah's "foolish act" and suggested he should share some of the blame for not bringing her up correctly.

"I am making this apology as a father and as the head of Korean Air," Cho said.

As well as being the boss's daughter, Cho Hyun-Ah was a vice president of the family-run airline, but her father confirmed that she was being relieved of all her official posts.

Cho Hyun-Ah has been front-page fodder in the South Korean media since forcing a New York-Seoul Korean Air flight to return to its gate last Friday to remove the chief purser, the most senior member of the crew.

Cho, sitting in first class, took exception to the arrival of some macadamia nuts she had not asked for, and to the fact that they were served in a packet rather than a bowl.

She summoned the chief purser who, according to an earlier Korean Air statement, replied with "lies and excuses" when challenged over his crew's knowledge of in-flight service procedures.

Cho then decided the chief purser was "incapable" and the plane returned to the gate where he disembarked, causing an 11-minute delay in arrival.

Her behaviour attracted heavy criticism in South Korea, where she was accused of being petty and arrogant, and prompted a state probe over a possible breach of aviation safety laws.

Cho was scheduled to be questioned later Friday by transport ministry officials.

[WisdomBeing]

well, what goes around comes around and Cho Hyun-ah is certainly experiencing that. When her father says he didn't bring his daughter up well, he's right.

To be fair to her though, her behaviour reveals that she was brought up in an environment where her wish was everyone else's command. When one is born in the god realms, one thinks that one is invincible but in this case, the public outcry shows that times have changed.

"There was once respect in South Korea for the families that founded the industrial conglomerates, known as chaebol, which helped modernize the country and make it wealthy. Nowadays there is growing criticism of ostentatious wealth and unfettered power."

Cho Hyun-ah will learn the hard way that power can be fettered.

[dondrup]

The upbringing of Cho Hyun-ah has very much to do with her public misbehaviour on the Korean Air Lines.  She may have the good fortune to be born in a wealthy family but the environment she was raised in unfortunately had conditioned her into a spoilt brat! The bad imprints in her mind accumulated in the past had ripened causing her to misbehave.  If parents are not firm and strict in raising their children when they were young, very often these children will grow up misbehaving or fall foul of the law like Cho Hyun-ah and other Korean chaebol families!

[eyesoftara]

I do think the upbringing has much to do with the decision. Also, it is the position of her father and perhaps because of that she has that position, for which is most unqualified for. Her misunderstanding of the implications of her decision is unwise. Short of having an unfit pilot, no plane can be stopped from its schedule as the cost and inconveniences caused can be tremendous.
Also, the circumstances of the serving of the Macadamia nuts and the resulting events could have dealt with later. It is a case blowing a small thing that can be dealt with later, out of proportion.

[Tenzin Malgyur]

Having a plane return to the gate at an airport should only be done in an emergency and not at the wimp of a princess who was upset her petty needs were not met. Her actions has caused so much inconveniences not only to  other passengers on her flight, but also to the rest of other flights at the huge John F Kennedy Airport. Seems to me like she is craving and needing so much attention. Actions like this should be dealt with severely by the IATA and not just relieving her of her positions at her company. It is so sad to read that people with power and wealth like Cho Hyun ah are abusing their good fortune over small petty issues.

[MoMo]

In human history, there’re many accounts that a great kingdom or empire was brought down due to unmindful actions of speech over trivial things that escalate to full-fledged war between two or more parties.

It is really uncalled-for for her to throw tantrum over the Korean Air crews by flexing her position and relationship with the chairman of Korean Air. If she had shown tolerance and acceptance of mistake of her air crew and deal with it later, this would not had put Korean Air in the lime light of the press and thus, invoke the wrath of public. Her poor father wouldn't need to scramble into fire-fighting mode to cover all her fault.

[MoMo]

In human history, there’re many accounts that a great kingdom or empire was brought down due to unmindful actions of speech over trivial things that escalate to full-fledged war between two or more parties.
It is really uncalled-for for her to throw tantrum over the Korean Air crews by flexing her position and relationship with the chairman of Korean Air. If she had shown tolerance and acceptance of mistake of her air crew and deal with it later, this would not had put Korean Air in the lime light of the press and thus, invoke the wrath of public. Her poor father would not need to scramble into fire-fighting mode to cover all her fault.

[maricisun]

This shows the many disgusted behaviour of the rich and famous if not properly handled. To have a flight to return to the airport is only when there is a real emergency. Very selfish of her to do that at her convenience but have upset everyone's schedule.
This is also due to bad parenting. Or maybe it's their karma? 
At least her father apologizes for her daughter's foolish act but what is done is done. What a shame.

[WisdomBeing]

i think this is a good example of the demi god or god realm where people seem to be all powerful in a realm where their every wish is granted. And like in those realms, all good things come to an end and i think Cho Hyun-ah is certainly learning this. There is apparently a potential legal case against her too, though i do think the situation is being blown out of proportion. Sure the plane was delayed, sure she was arrogant and overstepped her authority and broke the rules but in the end, nobody was hurt. She didn't kill anyone and the most harm was that people were a bit late for their arrival. For this situation to create such a storm in a teacup tells me that it is not only what she did but the anger at the privileged elite which has been simmering in Korea that she is the serendipitous scapegoat for. The people are simply baying for blood and Cho Hyun-ah's will do.

[pinecone]

Korea is traditionally regarded as the country of its courteous people in the East and also Koreans are well known for their  noticeable characteristic  in  its polite forms.  My question to the occurrence of this undesired incident is that under what circumstances that the pilot  and the co-pilot would follow the instructions from   Cho Hyun-ah, who was  just a head of cabin service at Korean Air?  Her action and behaviour have clearly revealed her power hungry attitude, selfishness and  her uncontrollable anger. Just hoped that  she sincerely and truthfully felt remorse and regret for  her disgraceful  action and turn to a new leaf!