[Correspondent Diary] Chinese Flight Attendant Who Posted Photo of "I Wear 75B Cup" Underwear

In Chinese Courts, First Instance Sides with Flight Attendant, Second Instance Favors Airline
Airline's Image Tarnished and Customs Violated... Chinese Government Regulates Minors' Internet Broadcasting

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Even in the socialist country of China, personal social media is gaining great popularity. As a result, photos or posts that cross the line sometimes become social issues.

Photo by China Xinhua News Agency Capture

A photo posted by a China Southern Airlines stewardess in the airplane restroom has come under scrutiny. The incident occurred on October 12, 2019. On that day, the departure time of China Southern Airlines flight CZ3547, which was supposed to leave Guangzhou at 18:55 and head to Shanghai, was delayed to 20:06. Passengers waited in the lounge for boarding, and the crew waited inside the aircraft.

Perhaps out of boredom, crew member Guo○ posted two photos of the underwear she was wearing in the airplane restroom on her personal social media account. She also added a comment saying, "The new underwear I bought is very comfortable, and I wear 75B." She thought the photos and post were inappropriate and deleted them 10 minutes later.

However, it was already too late. The photos and post she uploaded were circulated, and someone reported her. China Southern Airlines launched an investigation and dismissed her on November 28. The company cited the posting of obscene photos during working hours as damaging the company's image and a serious violation of company regulations as the reason for dismissal.

She resisted as well. She argued that she immediately recognized her inappropriate behavior and deleted the photos and post right away, so the dismissal was too harsh.

The court's judgment was divided. The first trial ruled in favor of Guo, stating there was no evidence that her actions affected flight safety, nor sufficient evidence that the photos and post damaged China Southern Airlines' image.

The second trial (China has a two-tier court system) was different. It stated that the waiting time before the aircraft's takeoff is not personal rest time, and the underwear photos and post were essentially a kind of underwear promotion unrelated to her duties. It also noted that the background of the photos was enough to identify the airline as China Southern Airlines. The court pointed out that Guo's actions harmed social customs and damaged the airline's image.

The second trial dismissed all of Guo's claims and ruled that the company was not required to pay the unpaid wages of 212,735 yuan (from November 23, 2019, to July 10, 2020) that Guo had claimed.

Regarding the Guo case ruling, opinions among Chinese netizens are divided between those who agree with the first trial and those who support the second trial.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government has banned minors from conducting and sponsoring internet live broadcasts. Accordingly, online platforms are required to regulate minors' internet live broadcasts and prohibit cash or gift sponsorships to live broadcasters who are minors. Authorities have announced they will strictly monitor online platforms' compliance with regulations related to minors.