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Gov’t fines Jeju Air 9 bln won for lithium ion batteries

November 14, 2018

SEOUL, Nov. 15 (Yonhap) — The government on Thursday imposed a fine of 9 billion won (US$7.9 million) on Jeju Air Co., South Korea’s biggest budget carrier by sales, for carrying lithium ion battery-powered watches.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has finalized the penalty to be slapped on the low-cost carrier after it was discovered to have brought in wrist watches from countries like Hong Kong between April and May, a ministry spokesman said.

The final decision comes after Jeju Air asked the ministry to review its initial decision to slap fines on the company in September for the transport of watches.

Lithium ion batteries can lead to uncontrolled fires that have been cited for bringing down planes in the past and are categorized as dangerous materials.

A Jeju Air B737-800 passenger jet (Yonhap)

A Jeju Air B737-800 passenger jet (Yonhap)