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| Hanjin KAL Chairman Cho Won-tae, center, poses with Franck Riester, left, French minister delegate for foreign trade and economic attractiveness, and French Ambassador to Korea Philippe Lefort, at the Korea Furniture Museum in Seoul, Dec. 17, after receiving a gold Honour medal of Foreign Affairs from the French government for his contributions to the country. Courtesy of Korean Air |
By Kim Rahn
Hanjin KAL Chairman Cho Won-tae has received a gold medal from the French government for his contributions to the country and its people, especially amid the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Korean Air, a Hanjin Group affiliate.
Cho was decorated with an Honour medal of Foreign Affairs by Franck Riester, French minister delegate for foreign trade and economic attractiveness, during an event at the Korea Furniture Museum in Seoul, Dec. 17.
The medal is offered to people who contribute to France and the people of the country, and has three categories of gold, silver and bronze according to the level of contribution.
"It is a great honor to receive the gold medal," Cho said. "I understand this award is an encouragement for me to make more efforts for development of bilateral relations of the two countries."
The decoration for Cho has followed Korean Air's support for French residents in Korea. The carrier has not stopped flight operations between Incheon and Paris despite decreased air traffic demand following the outbreak of the pandemic and lockdowns, to help French residents here visit their homeland or businesspeople of the two nations visit each other's countries and continue operating.
Korean Air currently operates three weekly flights on the route.
Besides support for France, Korean Air has participated in various quarantine efforts led by the government. In January, the carrier operated charter flights to bring Korean residents in Wuhan and nearby regions of China, which was the first hotbed of the virus, back to Korea. Cho boarded one of the flights himself to ensure their safe transport.
