A subsidiary of Aekyung Group, the parent company of Jeju Air, is facing criticism for holding a year-end event during the national mourning period following the passenger plane tragedy.
According to AK Holdings, the holding company of Aekyung Group, a 'town hall meeting' (quarterly monthly meeting) was held on the 31st of last month at 3 p.m. in the banquet hall on the second floor of the Novotel Ambassador Suwon, a four-star hotel located near Suwon Station in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, with 30 to 40 employees of the Novotel gathered.
The Novotel is a hotel operated by Accor under a contract with AK Plaza, one of Aekyung Group's listed subsidiaries, and is connected to the AK Suwon branch located at Suwon Station. It is almost like one family company with Jeju Air, another listed company of Aekyung Group.
The event on this day, held in the form of a town hall meeting that takes place once every three months, included a welcome for new employees, awards for outstanding employees and long-term employees, a birthday event, a lucky draw, and a cake-cutting ceremony.
In a video taken that day, after the lucky draw began, the general manager shook the lottery box while people looked on with smiles, and applause erupted when the winner was announced.
At the end of the event, the general manager was caught on camera saying, "I apologize for this, considering the circumstances and issues like Jeju Air," and added, "We decided to distribute bonuses."
Among the employees who attended the event, there were reports of comments such as, "Is this really acceptable for us?"
An AK Holdings official acknowledged, "There are aspects we did not pay careful attention to," and noted, "We will educate all employees to be more aware moving forward."