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The daughter of the owner of the airline Korean Air had also involved in a case of "gapjil" JUNG YEON-JE / AFP

Last week, the president of a TV station resigned after the scandal caused by the publication of a recording of his 10-year-old daughter insulting and threatening her private driver. The latest episode of a series of cases involving large families owning conglomerates, accused of arrogance and abuse of power in South Korea.

From our correspondent in Seoul,

The case involves a 10-year-old schoolgirl, granddaughter of Bang Sang-hoon, president of a media empire that includes a television channel and the first Korean daily, conservative Chosun Ilbo. In a recording taken in secret by a telephone and broadcast on television, we hear this little girl insult copiously his private driver who takes him to school. " Your parents have raised you badly, like all the people in your family (...) they were too poor (...) I'm going to ask my mom to kick you ," she says, among other insults, to the 57 year old man. The latter was dismissed soon after, according to the Korean press.

The daddy girl of Korean Air

In the face of the outcry, Bang Jung-oh, father of the little girl and president of the TV channel Chosun, apologized and resigned . This scandal is seen by the public as a particularly shocking example of "gapjil", a term that refers to the abuse of authority by the powerful and the pleasure of humiliating their subordinates.

This is indeed not the first case of this type in South Korea. The most resounding scandal occurred three years ago when Cho Hyun-ah, daughter of Korean Air's owner, insulted a steward who had served her macadamia nuts (or Queensland nuts) in a bag. and not in a saucer. She had forced the plane back to her door to force the steward to disembark.

This year, Cho Hyun-ah's sister was accused in turn of humiliating an employee and throwing a glass of water at him. Other "gapjil" cases have hit the news in recent weeks: like that of Yang Jin-ho, a boss who forced his employees to kill live chickens with a bow, and to dye his hair red or white. green.

" Gapjil, " not just a problem of the rich ...

Sport is also affected: the Olympic curling vice-champions, surprise stars of the PyeongChang Olympics in February, accused their coach and their father, the vice-president of the federation, of serious abuse.

"Gapjil", the word does not mean just the arrogance of families owning conglomerate. This term includes any violence committed by someone who abuses his superiority, especially in the professional setting. According to a poll published in April 2018, 97% of Korean employees say they have been victims or witnesses of "gapjil", a word that comes up in all conversations.

Korea Launches Ad Campaign Social Addressing Abuse Known as 'Gapjil' https://t.co/MhQ2fWVOcE

Joseph Kim (@josungkim) October 12, 2018

The problem is such that the government promised measures in April . A TV advertising campaign, which compares abusers to angry chickens, aims to raise awareness and prevent such acts .

A telephone number has also been set up to enable employees to report any intimidation on the part of their boss and to take advice.

Above all, the proliferation of smartphones, which discreetly record this violence and easily disseminate online, allows to expose more and more abuse. This is what the driver of the little girl of the owner of the daily Chosun did after losing his job.