President Kim Avoided Korean Air

Before 1999, Korean Air had a reputation in the aviation industry as “an industry pariah, notorious for fatal crashes,” with several accidents that resulted in hundreds of deaths. The airline’s safety record became so troubling that South Korean President Kim Dae-jung publicly criticized it as “an embarrassment to the nation.” He even chose to fly on the rival carrier, Asiana Airlines, instead of the country’s flagship airline.

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