Korean Air heiress quizzed over illegal maids
Cho Hyun-ah was questioned by the immigration office Thursday over allegations of illegally hiring housekeepers from the Philippines.
Cho is the eldest daughter of Hanjin Chairman Cho Yang-ho. She was an executive of Korean Air and is infamous for the “nut rage” incident.
She appeared at the Seoul office of the Korea Immigration Service (KIS) for questioning.
“I am sorry to have caused a disturbance,” said Cho, when asked by reporters if she admits to the crime.
She is accused of hiring more than 10 Filipino housekeepers illegally under the Korean Air’s sponsoring of traineeship visas.
When a foreign national wants to work as a maid they have to hold F-4 or F-6 visas.
F-4 visas are given to overseas Koreans and F-6 visas are provided for marriage based immigrants.
The Korean Immigration Service will look into the specific entry process and if the suspects were aware of the illegal act.
The KIS searched Korean Air headquarters earlier this month on suspicion of Hanjin Group’s involvement in the case. Hanjin has a major stake in the airline.
This is another inglorious public appearance by Cho, the former vice president of Korean Air.
It has been three years and five months since she was convicted for the “nut rage” incident in December 2014. She was let out of prison earlier than scheduled in May 2015 after the top court dropped a key charge in her case.
Cho was convicted of violating the Aviation Safety Law in 2014, after she forced a plane bound for Incheon back to its gate at John F. Kennedy International Airport. She threw a tantrum over how her macadamia nuts were served in the first class cabin and ejected the cabin crew chief off the plane.
After serving 10 months in prison, she returned to head KAL Hotel Network as an executive of the Grand Hyatt Incheon in March, but was recently stripped of her company posts.
Korean Air was put under the negative spotlight again after the chairman’s youngest daughter, Cho Hyun-min, a former marketing executive of Korean Air was accused of assaulting an ad agency official.
Since then, Cho’s whole family has been under constant intense scrutiny by both the public and law enforcement from mounting allegations ranging from abuse of power, assault and tax evasion to smuggling luxury goods from abroad.
Her mother, Lee Myung-hee, is also accused of illegally hiring foreign maids and will soon be questioned, the immigration office said. Lee is also scheduled to be grilled by police next Monday over another case involving assault and abuse allegations.