Korean Air union demands Japanese gov't official apologize for assault
A Japanese government official is suspected of assaulting a Korean Air employee, who held him back from boarding a plane for “being too drunk” at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul on March 19. Korea Times file
By Jung Min-ho
Employees at Korean Air, the country's largest airline, have demanded a Japanese government official apologize and offer compensation to a company official he allegedly assaulted at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul, March 19.
A union representing Korean Air staff released a statement March 22 to express “serious regret” for the “unforgivable” behavior of Kosuke Takeda, 47, a senior official at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
Takeda allegedly assaulted an employee, who held him back from boarding a plane for “being too drunk.” While refusing to comply, he reportedly said things like, “I hate Korea!”
“It was a necessary safety check, which is stipulated in the guidelines,” the union said.
If Takeda refuses to apologize, the union said it would take action to strip him of his civil servant status.
This is was not the first time Takeda had been prevented from boarding a flight to Japan. Only two days before the incident, he was held back by
for being drunk and disorderly.
After the second incident, he was temporarily detained by Korean police, but released a few hours later and returned to Japan.
On Facebook, Takeda denied being drunk and said he did not understand why police detained him. “It's a weird country,” he wrote.
After the issue came into the spotlight, the health ministry released him from his position as head of the wages division and apologized.