If you think that Korean Drama is over-exaggerated, the family behind Korean Air may prove you wrong. On 31st December the SCMP reported that the chairman of Korean Air, Mr Cho Won-tae, also the brother of “nut rage” heiress, had a fight with his mum on Christmas day.
If you are feeling to lazy to read the entire SCMP article, this post serves to summarise the gist of everything that was reported in the article.
According to local reports, Cho reportedly went on a rampage and left a cut on his mum’s arm during Christmas day. It was believed that he wielded a wall fireplace poker and broke a vase that sent shards flying.
The following pictures below were leaked to the press, after his mum emailed these pictures to the company executives in the hope that she will receive some sort of protection.
This mother and son later released a joint statement on Monday (30th December) to apologise over the incident. Mr Cho also said that the family would abide by his father’s, who was the late chairman, last wishes to maintain family unity and cooperate in managing the business conglomerate.
Reason for the fight:
During the Christmas gathering, Mr Cho was discussing the future of their family business. Mr Cho was unhappy that his mum was siding with his sister – the “nut rage” heiress. Apparently Mr Cho was accused of sidelining his two sisters, against his late father’s instruction.
Just a little bit of context:
- Mdm Lee (mum) and “nut-rage” heiress (sister) have a combined stake of 11.8%
- Mr Cho (current chairman) has a stake of 6.52%. He is seeking to be re-elected as the head of Hanjin Group, in the upcoming general shareholders’ meeting in March 2020
Summary of The Commotion Stirred by The Family
Meet the “nut rage” heiress, Ms Cho Hyun-ah, also the sister of Mr Cho.
In 2014, Ms Cho Hyan-ah stepped down from her role at Korean Air over the “nut rage” incident. Upset over the fact that the cabin crew offered macadamia nuts in a packet instead of a bowl during a flight, she forced the plane to turn back just to kick the attendant off the flight.
Meet Mr Cho’s Second Sister, Ms Cho Hyun-min, Infamous for the “Juice Rage” Incident.
In 2018, she resigned her role at Korean Air after she threw a drink in the face of a business associate during a meeting.
And Again, Mdm Lee Myung-hee, the Mother of Mr Cho.
In 2019, Mdm Lee went to court over a charge that was linked to the illegal hiring of domestic helpers. It was also reported that she exercised physical and verbal abuse against her employees.
Last but not Least, Meet the Late Chairman, Mr Cho Yang-ho. He is Also the Father of the Current Chairman.
In April 2019, he passed away due to a chronic disease. He was facing trial for allegedly embezzling ₩ 19.6 billion.