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Wife of Korean Air Chief Questioned Over Alleged Assaults


At a news conference, Korean Air chairman Cho Yang-ho apologizes for his adult daughter’s behavior, Dec. 12, 2014.
At a news conference, Korean Air chairman Cho Yang-ho apologizes for his adult daughter’s behavior, Dec. 12, 2014.

The wife of Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho was summoned by South Korean police for questioning about allegations that she abused and assaulted employees.

Lee Myung-hee apologized to reporters "for causing trouble" as she entered a Seoul police office Monday.

Lee is accused of cursing and shoving construction workers in 2014 at a hotel owned by Hanjin Group, the parent company of Korean Air. She is also suspected of physically and verbally assaulting workers at her Seoul residence, and habitually abusing company employees, security guards and housekeepers.

The allegations include kicking, slapping and even throwing scissors at employees.

The Cho family has been under scrutiny ever since the infamous 2014 "nut rage" case involving eldest daughter Cho Hyun-ah, who threw a violent temper tantrum on a Korean Air jetliner over being served macadamia nuts in a bag rather than a bowl. The youngest daughter, Cho Hyun-min, has been accused of throwing a drink of water during a business meeting.

The family is also facing probes into allegations of smuggling, tax evasion and immigration law violations.

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