Teen Prank Callers Will Compensate Korean Air
By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
A Seoul district court ruled Wednesday that two teenagers who made prank bomb threats to Korean Air must pay a hefty fine to the airline. Their parents accepted the mediation ruling.
It is the first time that a prank caller to an airline has been ordered to pay compensation.
The two boys, aged 15 and 17, respectively, made two separate calls in January to the airline, saying they had planted bombs in passenger aircraft.
The planes were delayed several hours for security checks.
The Seoul District Court ordered each of the two boys and their parents to pay 7 million won ($5,600) in compensation to the airline in a mediation ruling.
The accused and their families accepted the arbitration, which will be settled if the defendants do not appeal within two weeks.
"It can be established that the prank calls have caused damage to the plaintiff, and the defendants and their parents, who are responsible for overseeing their children, are accountable for the damage," said Judge Lee Eun-hee in the ruling.
Airline officials said another case is pending in court as a mediation plan was rejected by another defendant who is also accused of making prank calls.
The carrier plans to seek compensation aggressively, as prank calls can cause significant damage to the company.