Korean Air 'nut rage' victim has tumor surgery
Cho Hyun-ah (Heather Cho) / Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
The tumor on the back of Park Chang-jin's head / Captured from Instagram
A Korean Air heiress infamous for her “nut rage” tantrum that made headlines globally in 2014 has returned to management of Hanjin Group, a holding company of the airline.
In stark contrast, Park Chang-jin, the former chief steward who was forced to kneel before Cho Hyun-ah (Heather Cho) and kicked off the plane for failing to serve her nuts “properly,” has undergone surgery to remove a large tumor from his head.
“Over the past three years, the tumor has grown due to a hell of stress like nuclear bombs,” Park wrote on Instagram Wednesday, saying his tumor was evidence of his long struggle at the company. He claimed he has since been a target of unfair criticism.
The next day, Cho, who was forced to resign as Korean Air's vice president over the incident, became president of KAL Hotel Network, the group's subsidiary that owns four hotels ― Jeju KAL Hotel, Seogwipo KAL Hotel, Paradise Hotel Jeju and Grand Hyatt Incheon.
While the group seems to think it is time for the eldest daughter of Chairman Cho Yang-ho to return to management, public opinion remains sour. Social media such as Facebook and Twitter have been flooded with criticism of the decision.
“This makes me question whether we have justice in our society. Cho has returned as if nothing had ever happened,” a netizen said.
In 2015, the prosecution indicted her on charges of violating aviation security and business laws. A lower court sentenced her to a year in prison.
But she was freed after five months when an appeals court cleared her of hampering an air route ― the most serious charge. Her penalty was reduced to a suspended prison term. The Supreme Court upheld that ruling last December.