Korean Air’s Cho sues over ‘maternity trip’ comments

Cho Hyun-ah, Korean Air’s senior vice president, has sued three South Korean online users who posted allegedly malicious comments about her “maternity trip.”

Seoul Gangseo Police Station said that Cho filed a formal complaint against the users, claiming that they made “humiliating“ comments over the fact that she delivered twins in the United States in May. Cho’s trip to Hawaii sparked speculation that she intended to obtain U.S. citizenship for her children.

Cho, the eldest daughter of Hanjin Group chairman Cho Yang-ho, was transferred to Hawaii in March to oversee the company’s hotel development project; her children will fulfill all of their duties as Koreans, including military duty, regardless of whatever citizenship they have, Korean Air said in an earlier statement.

Some wealthy Korean mothers intentionally go to the U.S. to give birth to help their children evade military duty here and give them other advantages by getting them U.S. citizenship.

The police said it has received personal data on the three Internet-portal users ahead of a full-fledged investigation.

By Lee Ah-ran, Intern reporter 
(tomato08@heraldcorp.com)