S. Korean convicted in abuse of workers
SEOUL, South Korea — The widow of the former Korean Air chairman received a suspended prison sentence Tuesday for assault and other abuses of her chauffeur, security guard and other employees.
The Seoul Central District Court found 70-year-old Lee Myung-hee guilty of habitual abuse toward helpless “victims who were under her influence” and sentenced her to a two-year prison sentence. The sentence will be suspended if she commits no more violations for three years.
While prosecutors had sought a jail term of 2½ years, the court said it considered Lee’s age and that she was acknowledging responsibility. It wasn’t immediately known whether prosecutors or Lee would appeal the ruling.
Lee was accused of physically and verbally abusing her employees between 2011 and 2018, including kicking her chauffeur for failing to load luggage into a car and throwing pruning shears toward a security guard at her home.
She is the widow of former Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho, who died last year. Their son, Walter Cho, has been leading Korean Air since then.