Heather Cho arrested over 'nut rage'

Heather Cho

By Kim Se-jeong

Former Korean Air Vice President Heather Cho was arrested by prosecutors Tuesday over her actions in the "nut rage" incident, six days after they requested a court to issue a warrant for her arrest.

The Seoul Western Prosecutors Office sought her arrest for disrupting the flight schedule, assaulting two flight attendants, coercing them and disturbing their work while onboard a plane bound for Incheon International Airport from New York's John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport on Dec. 5.

Along with her, a Korean Air senior manager, surnamed Yeo was also arrested, according to the prosecution. Yeo is accused of forcing two flight attendants to give false statements about the incident and ordering the chief flight attendant to delete an initial email report from his laptop.

Earlier on Tuesday, Cho, the eldest daughter of the Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho, appeared at a court in Seoul where judges were reviewing the requested arrest warrant.

Journalists asked her questions outside the court building, but she kept silent. On her way out, she kept her head down, but at one point, wept. Among the crowd was an angry woman who attempted to pull her hair from the back.

Cho has been under investigation since she ordered the plane to return to the gate at JFK to drop off the chief flight attendant.

She was offered a bag of macadamia nuts by a junior flight attendant, but grew angry at her because the nuts were served in a bag, not on a plate. She yelled at the flight attendant and the chief flight attendant, demanding an in-flight service manual. Finally, she ordered the pilot to return the plane back to the gate and told the chief flight attendant to get off. She initially denied assaulting the flight attendants physically, but a first-class passenger confirmed witnessing her actions.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation began investigating to see if she disturbed operations on the flight, and the prosecution took up the case as allegations rose that she had physically assaulted flight attendants and ordered senior managers to destroy evidence against her.

The "nut rage" incident forced her resign from all the posts she used to hold. She was the senior vice president of Korean Air and the president of KAL Hotel Network, Wangsang Leisure Development and Hanjin Travel.

The incident revealed corruption between Korean Air and the transportation ministry.

The ministry inspectors who undertook the initial investigation turned out to be former Korean Air employees. It was also revealed that the Korean Air representatives were present when flight attendants were questioned.

The ministry was also accused of sharing investigation information with Korean Air executives. The ministry announced Monday it will punish eight staff members involved in the investigation.

The incident was widely reported in Korea and overseas; and helped macadamia sales here soar.

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