[Exclusive] Jeju Province Secretary Suspected of Involvement in Jeju Air Flight Attendant Recruitment

Allegations of Personnel Solicitation for a Specific Individual... Controversy Over Inappropriate Conduct
Airline Responds to Employment Inquiry: "Cannot Confirm"
Residents Say, "Nation in Mourning After Disaster... Disheartened by Such Conduct"

Jeju Air passenger plane (top in the photo) and the Jeju Island government office building,

Allegations have arisen that the Jeju Provincial Secretary for Political Affairs made a personnel solicitation during the recruitment process for new cabin crew at Jeju Air last year. In particular, controversy is growing over inappropriate conduct, as Jeju Province, despite being a major shareholder of Jeju Air, has neglected safety and maintenance issues while being found to have intervened in the recruitment of flight attendants.

The Jeju Provincial Secretary for Political Affairs is known to be a close aide of Jeju Governor Oh Younghoon, having been close since childhood.

According to an investigation by Asia Economy on the 10th, Secretary Lee (56) sent a text message in August last year containing personal information such as date of birth, name, and email, along with the message, "The applicant has passed the document screening and video screening and is scheduled for an interview," followed by another message asking, "Did they pass?" to confirm the result.

In a phone call with our outlet, Lee explained, "The applicant's father sent me a message, so I tried to ask someone to check on the progress. I sent a message, but it seems it was delivered to another person with the same name, which is how it was exposed," adding, "I don't know Jeju Air well, so I was trying to send the message to an acquaintance who does."

When asked, "Who was the acquaintance you tried to send the message to, and did you receive a reply about the result?" Lee replied, "I can't say who it was. I didn't get an answer to the question about the result, so it wasn't a situation for me to pursue, and I just let it go."

A Jeju Air representative, when asked about the employment status and recruitment details of the individual mentioned in the text, stated, "We cannot confirm employment status, and as a company that strictly protects personal information, it is virtually impossible for us to leak detailed personal information to outsiders."

A screenshot of a text message sent by Jeju Provincial Secretary Lee to an acquaintance in August last year asking about the result of the Jeju Air new cabin crew recruitment exam. Photo by Park Changwon

After reports emerged of Jeju Province's involvement in personnel matters, some within the province have criticized that while Jeju Air, as a major shareholder, has failed to speak out about safety, maintenance, and the interests of residents following the 'Jeju Air passenger plane disaster,' close aides to the governor are engaging in personnel solicitations.

The province recommends the position of Jeju Air's director-level Jeju branch manager, and historically, this position has been filled by individuals from the Jeju governor's election camp. Currently, a former political party member appointed in 2022 still holds the post.

The official duties of the Jeju Air Jeju branch manager involve productive communication with related institutions such as Jeju Provincial Government and the Provincial Council, with all personnel expenses and related costs covered by Jeju Air. Questions have been raised as to whether the role is significant enough to warrant appointing someone from an election camp, who is not an aviation expert, to a director-level position simply to facilitate communication between Jeju Province and the Provincial Council.

An attorney from the 'Jeju Air passenger plane disaster' legal support team explained, "For a violation of the Kim Young-ran Act to occur, a public official must accept a request. Since the secretary made the request, it does not appear to be a violation. However, if the acquaintance who received the message is a public official and there are specific circumstances of personnel solicitation, there could be grounds for a violation."

Resident A commented, "Since Jeju Air was established for the benefit of residents, it should adhere to its original purpose," adding, "Recently, a major disaster at Muan Airport resulted in 179 deaths, and the entire nation is mourning. In the midst of this, seeing the secretary for political affairs of Jeju Province engaging in personnel solicitations is truly disheartening."

Meanwhile, Jeju Air was established in 2005 after Jeju Province proposed to Aekyung Group to lower the cost of air travel for residents, with Aekyung holding a 75% stake and Jeju Province 25%. Currently, Jeju Province is the fourth-largest shareholder with a 3.18% stake.