Hanjin Group chairman resigns as Jin Air CEO

Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho resigned as CEO of Jin Air, the group’s budget airline, on Thursday.

The move comes two days after the Transport Ministry implied it was consulting with law firms on whether to strip the low-cost carrier of its business license.

The chairman’s youngest daughter Cho Hyun-min, currently under police investigation after allegedly throwing fruit juice and a glass at employees during a meeting in March, was a registered director of the airline between 2010 and 2016. During the fallout from the recent scandal, it became apparent that Cho Hyun-min is an American citizen. Under local aviation law, foreigners cannot be directors of Korean airlines due to security reasons.

It was this discovery that prompted the Transport Ministry to consider action against Jin Air. Despite resigning as CEO, Cho Yang-ho said he would stay on the board of directors at Jin Air.

Despite the most recent attempt to appease the public, protests against the owner family are continuing to grow. Korean Air employees decided to hold a second candlelight vigil against the Cho family’s power abuse on Saturday in front of Seoul Station in central Seoul.

About 1,000 employees from Korean Air and Jin Air, as well as members of the public, are expected to take part in the second event, according to industry observers and the police. Last week, about 500 people protested in Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul.

BY KIM JEE-HEE [kim.jeehee@joongang.co.kr]