Kang Tae-sun, the CEO of outdoor clothing company Black Yak, is accused of assaulting an airline employee while quarreling over boarding procedures, local media reported Monday.

According to YTN, an emergency 112 call center on Friday received a call reporting that an assault by an unnamed CEO of a prominent clothing company had taken place at Gimpo International Airport. Follow-up reports by various news outlets pinpointed Kang as the culprit.

The CEO reportedly hit a staff member of an airline with a newspaper after the employee had refused to let him board the plane, saying it was past the scheduled boarding time.

Kang admitted to YTN that he had caused a ruckus, but denied the assault accusation.

“I ‘threw’ the newspaper that I was holding,” he said.

Chosun Ilbo newspaper, citing the airline, said Kang had apologized immediately after the incident.

Representatives of Black Yak also apologized for the incident.

“It was the wrong thing to do, whether (Kang) had thrown the newspaper or hit another person with it.”

(khnews@heraldcorp.com)