SEOUL: South Korean police are seeking an arrest warrant for the youngest daughter of Korean Air Lines’ chairman on suspicion of assault during a recent angry outburst, police said on Friday.
Cho Hyun-min, the younger sister of the notorious “nut rage” heiress of the airline, who got into trouble over a petulant outburst in 2014, is being investigated over accusations that she threw a drink at people at a business meeting last month.
Cho, 34, made a tearful apology during a media scrum on Monday when she made her first appearance for questioning at Seoul’s Gangseo police station, which is leading the investigation.
“The Seoul Gangseo police station requested an arrest warrant for a former senior vice president, Cho Hyun-min, related to the case of assault and obstruction of business,” the police said in a statement.
Cho denied any wrongdoing during questioning, police said.
Police said prosecutors would decide whether to send the request to the court for a ruling on her arrest.
Investigators fear evidence in the case may have been destroyed, police added in the statement.
“As a result of digital forensics, there is a risk of destroyed evidence, given circumstances where Korean Air discussed measures to save the situation,” they said.
The younger Cho stepped down from her position at the airline after her father, Cho Yang-ho, its chairman, apologized for the behavior of his daughters.
The younger sister’s tantrum has reignited public impatience with family-run conglomerates known as chaebol that dominate South Korea’s economy, over what some people see as unchecked bad behavior by the rich and powerful.
“Police will thoroughly investigate and take stern action against gapjil,” the police statement said, using a Korean term for high-hardness by those in positions of power.
