Korean Air headquarters raided in probe into 'nut rage' sister - Yonhap (updated)

Jin Air Co

19/04/2018 03:36

* Chairman's daughter subject of probe into possible assault
    * Korean Air shares slide as much as 4 pct 

 (Add shares slides for Korean Air)
    SEOUL, April 19 (Reuters) - South Korean police raided
Korean Air Lines  003490.KS  headquarters in Seoul on Thursday
as part of a probe into the youngest daughter of the airline's
chairman, Yonhap News Agency said. 
    Cho Hyun-min, a senior vice president at the airline, is
under investigation by police for possible assault after
testimony that she "sprayed a drink towards them" during a
business meeting.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N1RU2KD  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N1RU6JU
    Korean Air Lines shares fell as much as 4.1 percent while
budget airline affiliate Jin Air  272450.KS , where Cho is an
executive vice president, dropped 5.3 percent.
    A Korean Air spokesman confirmed the raid, but did not
elaborate on the reason. A police official declined to comment. 
    Cho, who is also known as Emily Cho, has apologised for her
behavior, but says she "pushed" a cup of water and did not 
throw it at anyone's face as media have reported.
    Her older sister Heather Cho made headlines over a notorious
"nut rage" incident in 2014, when she lost her temper over the
way she was served nuts in first class and ordered the Korean
Air plane to return to its gate at a New York airport. 
    South Korea's customs agency is also looking into
accusations that Cho and other family members did not pay
customs duties on luxury goods brought into the country, the
agency said on Wednesday.

 (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Additional reporting by Dahee Kim;
Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
 ((hyunjoo.jin@thomsonreuters.com; 82-2-3704-5685; Reuters
Messaging: hyunjoo.jin.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))