Korean Air 'nut rage' heiress facing divorce lawsuit

By Jung Min-ho

Cho Hyun-ah

The husband of Cho Hyun-ah (Heather Cho), 44, the Korean Air heiress who made headlines around the world for the 2014 “nut rage” incident, has filed for divorce.

The news came after her sister, Hyun-min, also known as Emily, 35, a Korean Air senior vice president, was caught involved in her own rage controversy recently.

Local media reported Monday that Hyun-ah’s husband, a plastic surgeon, filed the suit on April 2.

Seoul Family Court judge Kwon Yang-hee is in charge of the case.

Cho and her husband married in October 2010 and have twin sons.

Last month, shareholders of KAL Hotel Network, a Korean Air subsidiary, approved her return as the company’s president at the annual meeting.

Cho was indicted three years ago on charges of violating aviation security and business laws after forcing a plane to return to its gate during a row over how nuts were served.

A lower court sentenced her to a year in prison. But she was freed after only five months when an appeals court cleared her of hampering an air route ― the most serious charge.

Following Hyun-min’s “water rage” incident, in which she allegedly threw a cup of water in the face of the manager of HS AD, a Korean Air advertising agency, Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho said his daughters would be removed from management positions in their family-run corporate empire.