A 10‑Year‑Old, a Chauffeur, and a Sudden Resignation: The Latest Cringe‑worthy Moment in Korean Media
Picture this: a child, just ten years old, unleashes a verbal storm on her driver, and the fallout leads a prominent cable network president to step down. That’s the headline we’re shouting back at you from Seoul.
Who’s Involved?
- Mr. Bang Jung‑oh – President of TV Chosun, the near‑kitchen‑sink local cable channel.
- His daughter – The 10‑year‑old megaphone who pretty much turned a mundane chauffeur call into a full‑blown theatrical tantrum.
- Chauffeur in his 50s – The unsuspecting target of the incident, now reportedly out of a job and feeling battered.
- Bang Sang‑hoon – The elder Bang, guy behind the country’s biggest daily, Chosun Ilbo.
The Loud Podcast
When MBC released the clip, it sounded less like a polite “stop, stop” and more like a first‑class self‑help seminar gone wrong. The baby turned her driver into a plastic set of “culinary calamities”:
Daughter’s voice: “Hey, you! I’ll talk to my mum later… so you lose your job.”
“You’re fired. You’re crazy. I’m talking to you nicely, probably the only people who do that.”
“I don’t care if you sit down. This is our car, not yours!”
“Why let me be embarrassed? I’m not a bag of drama.”
“You’re a cripple with no arms, legs, ears, or mouth… absolutely insane.”
“Your parents raised you wrong, family is wrong. I hate you. I want you to die.”
After the Bugle Blows In
The driver, now source‑verified as no longer on staff, has officially been let go by the family. No apology yet, no reason given – just a clean exit line.
Bang’s Public Address
Later that Thursday, a tear‑jerking, remorseful statement appeared on TV Chosun’s site:
“I am deeply sorry for the public trouble my child caused.”
I will step down from TV Chosun’s presidency to take full responsibility.”
“I sincerely apologize to the driver who has been bleary from my daughter’s nasty behaviour.”
The Broader Context – Chaebol Misbehaviour Goes Viral
This downturn is part of a long list of chaotic family antics that tarnish Korea’s mega‑enterprises. Take the 2014 “nut rage” disaster, for instance, when Ms. Heather Cho Hyun‑ah, daughter of Korean Air CEO Cho Yang‑ho, demanded a cabin crew member kneel for a pre‑packaged nut. She even sent the plane back to the gate. Picture the frustration of a flight attendant who was literally being told to chortle at a small snack.
- Cho Yang‑ho – Charged with embezzling 19.6 billion won (about $23.8 million) and awarding contracts to family‑controlled companies.
- Cho Hyun‑min & Won‑tae – Again in the line, a bit of family drama with a side of extreme tantrums.
- Lee Myung‑hee – Mama of the feds, headline‑sticking for often ridiculous behaviour too.
- Accused of secretly running a pharmacy to siphon off 152 billion won from the state insurance agency.
Bottom Line?
When a kid feels the need to put the chauffeur on “die list” and a powerful media president must resign, the whole picture screams: a thin line between private power and public outrage. Below is a quick recap of what you need to know: the case happened, it sparked a resignation, and it was part of a larger story of chaebol erratic behaviour. It’s like the parental version of a corporate scandal, but the stakes are a child and a chauffeur’s life –and a major South Korean TV empire.
