Chatted with fellow parent over hotel reservation
Criticism grows over parent who disclosed the messages
A mobile messenger conversation, believed to be between Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boojin and a fellow parent at her child's school, has been made public and is drawing attention.
On February 15, a post titled "KakaoTalk Chat Revealed by a Parent at the Same School as Lee Boojin" was uploaded to online communities. According to the post, a parent captured messages exchanged with Lee regarding hotel complaints and other matters and shared them on his or her social media (SNS) account.
In the released conversation, the parent inquired about whether the swimming pool could be used in connection with a hotel package reservation, and Lee is presumed to have responded by explaining the situation at the hotel and providing guidance.
Lee said, "It was careless of us to label it only as 'Urban Island,'" adding, "We realized through this opportunity that we were not attentive enough, so we have decided to make improvements."
The parent replied, "You always treat us so beautifully and warmly, I've become a total fan," and added, "I've become a fan of you, and it's so nice not having to stand in line."
As the post spread rapidly, online users reacted by saying things like, "It's amazing that a chaebol personally responds as a parent," "Her tone is so composed. She really has grace," and "Seeing how she interacts so comfortably even with other parents, it seems her son has grown up well even at an ordinary school."
However, some argued that it was inconsiderate to raise a hotel complaint directly with the CEO instead of going through the official customer center. They criticized the parent for sending a private message to show off a personal connection despite an error during the reservation process, and for carelessly leaking it afterward.
One online user commented, "When you reveal private conversations like that, that's exactly why chaebols try not to mingle with ordinary people. The moment you cross the line, you become someone they cannot take seriously."
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