Lotte Hi-Mart president attacked over alleged worker abuse
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Kang Dong-seok, a former Lotte World employee, was verbally abused in 2012 by the company president who thought Kang’s white hair didn’t fit the conglomerate’s image. / Courtesy of YTN
By Chyung Eun-ju
The president of Lotte Hi-Mart is under fire for verbally abusing an employee over the color of the worker’s hair when he was Lotte World president in 2012.
According to reports on Wednesday, Lee Dong-woo had criticized the employee, Kang Dong-seok, for not dyeing his white hair.
“Is having white hair something to brag about?” Lee said in an audio file Kang recorded and sent to YTN. “If you are going to work for a conglomerate, act like someone who does. What do you think you are doing?”
Lee continued the assault, threatening to sack Kang. “You have three kids, right? There are three things you can do. Change your ringing tone, write an explanation statement, or quit.”
Lee’s alleged abuse of power is commonly referred to in Korea as “gapjil” -- derived from the contract term “gap" (party A, who leads) and "eul" (party B, who is led).
“Lee criticized my white hair after I did not change my ringing tone to the company’s commercial ringtone,” Kang told YTN on Wednesday. After Lee’s threat, he dyed his hair black and sent a before-and-after picture to Lee. But seven months later, Lotte World, a theme park in Jamsil-gu, Seoul, suspended Kang, stating he had just spray-painted his hair, not properly dyed it.
After the abuse, Kang changed his hair to black and sent pictures to his boss. / Courtesy of YTN
Following the suspension, Kang submitted a letter of resignation to Lotte World and filed a petition to the National Human Rights Commission and a court.
Lee was later promoted from president of Lotte World to head of Lotte Hi-Mart
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an electronics retailer. In 2016, GWP Korea, a global research, consulting and training firm assessment company headquartered in the U.S., awarded Lee as the most respected CEO of the year.
Dozens of Kang’s former coworkers testified that Lee had used profanity during business meetings. One of them said: “He would talk down to elders. He is the father of ‘gapjil.’ He is weak to those stronger than him and strong to those weaker than him.”
After a five-year legal battle, Kang still cannot return to the company he once worked for.
The reports quoted a Lotte World official apologizing to Kang if there was any emotional distress.