Owner Risk Crisis Communication: Revisiting the Korean Air ‘Nut Rage’ Apology

Yunna Rhee, Jae Hyun Park, Hyun Joung Jin, Division of Media Communication, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, South Korea, Department of Arts and Cultural Management, Graduate School, Chung-Ang University, South Korea, Department of Economics, College of Business and Economics, Chung-Ang University, South Korea

Management Communication Quarterly

Published online on January 13, 2026

Abstract

Management Communication Quarterly, Volume 40, Issue 3, Page 385-397, August 2026.
This case study examines the Korean Air “Nut Rage” incident as a high-profile example of “owner risk” within South Korea’s chaebol system, where inherited family control can lead to public crises. It analyzes Korean Air’s crisis communication strategy, ...