Flight Plan: The Asian Authority Gradient

The tenor of this blog is about to change. I am about to be in the visiting portion of
this long distance relationship.

Hooray! Hooray!

Being me though, I had to do a little investigating about any of the things that might stand in our way of being together:

My flight is on Korean Air. What is their safety history. Funny you should ask!

Korean Air - Safety Record Throughout the late 1990s safety concerns kept Korean Air under the watchful gaze of authorities at home and abroad. After the fatal crash at London’s Stansted Airport, Korean Air was cited as having, “one of the worst safety records in the aviation world.” The safety record was so botched at one point that the founder of the company, Cho Yang Ho stepped down in a gesture intended to demonstrate he was accepting responsibility for the abysmal safety record. Due to frequent safety issues, Air Canada, Air France, and Delta Air Lines suspended a code share agreement with Korean Air for a time in the late 90s. The US Department of Defense has, at times, blacklisted Korean Air and prohibited staff members from using that airline for any purpose. Critics claim that management can be amateurish and unprofessional, with people in senior positions frequently selected not for their qualifications and experience, but because of connections. Another often cited problem issue is that of the cockpit culture within Korean Air. Traditionally, the bulk of pilots were drawn from the ranks of ex-Korean military pilots who brought to the cockpit a very rigid, hierarchical authority structure that did not allow junior officers to contradict or question the decisions of the commander of the aircraft. The 13 June, 1991 belly landing is a prime example of Korean cockpit culture resulting in safety issues. Investigation after the incident indicate the junior officer balked at the command to remove a fuse from the alarm system, but the senior officer overrode him. Mick Toller, head of Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority, referred to the situation within the cockpit of Korean Air planes as, “the Asian authority gradient” in which the plane’s captain is God and others dare not even discuss things with him.

It is okay though, they have been on an upswing since the 90s and have a solid safety B grade.
I'd take 10 near crashes if I can only have enough leg room.