Korea is also still reeling from the tragic sinking of the MV Sewol, with many blaming the (then) company Chairman, business tycoon Yoo Byung-eun, and his children -- who were all listed as company executives / major shareholders.
Som-Na, the tycoon's daughter, lived lavishly in France before being arrested earlier this year on embezzlement charges. She is currently in the news as she is fighting her extradition back to Korea.
So it's against this backdrop that we have the nut-rage sensation Heather Cho, the privileged daughter of another transportation tycoon. I think ordinary Koreans are resentful of the nepotism and corruption they perceive in large Korean corporations, in government, politics, etc.
It didn't help that KAL and the Korean transportation authorities initially tried to "cover up" Ms. Cho's misdeeds by essentially blaming the purser. After a huge backlash, now there is pressure on the authorities to appear tough in dealing with Ms. Cho and Korean Air.