South Korea's second largest carrier Asiana Airlines has been found to have hired a foreign national on its board of directors in the past in violation of the transport law. 

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport recently found that Brad Byungsik Park, a U.S. citizen, served on Asiana's board from March 2004 to March 2010. 

According to the local transport law, a foreign national cannot hold a post on the board of a domestic or international logistics company and a violation can invalidate the firm’s operation license. 

The ministry discovered the infringement while looking into a similar case for Jin Air, where Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho's daughter Cho Hyun-min, a U.S. citizen, served on Jin Air's board from 2010 to 2016. 

The ministry, however, said that according to a legal review of Asiana's case, it is difficult to invalidate the airline’s license because punishment for such a violation was at the government's discretionary authority when the breach occurred. 

However, under the transport law revised in 2012, the government's discretionary authority is not allowed, making Jin Air subject to a punishment of license cancellation. 

The ministry is planning to hold a public hearing to decide on the punishment for the budget carrier.