The “raging” sisters of Hanjin Group have taken heavy toll on the stocks of the Korean transportation conglomerate including flag carrier Korean Air Lines, wiping out 320 billion won ($300.4 million) in their market value over the last few days after another heiress brought ignominy to the corporate name with temper tantrum.

The combined market cap of Hanjin Group’s five listed units - Korean Air Lines Co., Hanjin KAL Corp., Jin Air Co., Hanjin Transportation Co. and Korea Airport Service Co. - sank to 5.8 trillion won based on the closing prices on Tuesday from 6.2 trillion won on April 11, a day before Korean Air senior vice president Cho Hyun-min’s “water cup rage” incident became public.

Over the past four trading days from April 12 after Cho was exposed to have thrown water onto the face of an agency manager in a fit of anger, the stocks fell as more came forward with vexing accounts of short-temperedness and habitually abusive attitudes towards employees from the youngest daughter of the group chair.

Shares of Korean Air tumbled 6.13 percent, losing 208 billion won in market cap to 3.2 trillion won. Over the same period, Jin Air stocks slipped 5.68 percent and those of Hanjin KAL fell 3.64 percent, shaving 55 billion won and 50 billion won off their respective market cap.

Shares of KAL gained 2.08 percent on Wednesday and closed the day at 34,400 won, and those of Jin Air 4.23 percent higher at 32,000 won. Hanjin KAL ended 2.67 percent up at 23,100 won.

On Tuesday, police imposed a travel ban on the third child of Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho for a criminal investigation.

The family is infamous for spoiled children. Cho Hyun-ah, the eldest, was also involved in a power abuse scandal called “nut rage” in 2014 when she forced a plane to return to the gate because she was upset about the way her nuts were served. The younger Cho’s “water rage” made public just two weeks after her older sister who resigned in 2014 over the disgraceful scandal returned to management as the chief of KAL Hotel. Their brother also was indicted in 2005 for pushing an elderly who criticized his wild driving.

The bad publicity of the owner family comes as the airliner is grappling with a surge in fuel prices from renewed unrest in the Middle East.

By Moon Ji-woong and Choi Mira

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]