Korean Air heiress Cho Hyun-Ah pleads not guilty over ‘nut rage’ incident

A LAWYER for the Korean Air heiress charged over a “nut rage” incident says the case is based on “exaggerated statements” - but she still faces 10 years in jail.

FILE - In this Friday, Dec. 12, 2014 file photo, Cho Hyun-ah, who was head of cabin service at Korean Air and the oldest child of Korean Air chairman Cho Yang-ho, speaks to the media upon her arrival for questioning at the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board office of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in Seoul, South Korea. South Korean prosecutors on Wednesday charged the former Korean Air Lines executive who achieved worldwide notoriety by kicking a crew member off a flight with violating aviation security law and hindering a government investigation. Cho's actions amounted to "threatening the safety of the flight and causing confusion in law and order," prosecutor Kim Chang-hee said during a briefing that was broadcast live by local television networks. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)

KOREAN Air heiress Cho Hyun-Ah has pleaded not guilty to aviation safety violations over a notorious “nut rage” incident, at the opening of her trial on Monday.

Wearing a green prison uniform with the prisoner number 4200 marked on the left breast, Cho stood with her head bowed in the packed Seoul courtroom, answering preliminary questions in a near-whisper. She has been in custody since her formal arrest three weeks ago.

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Chang-hee of the Seoul Western District Prosecutors Office. Lee Jin-man / AP

The 40-year-old daughter of Korean Air chief Cho Yang-Ho oversaw a turnaround in the airline’s fortunes, but is now facing a maximum of 15 years in jail after abusing staff over how a portion of nuts was presented to her during a flight.

There is a 10-year sentence if she convicted of aviation safety violations, and a possible five years on additional charges of coercing KAL staff to give false testimony and interference in the execution of duty.

The charges all stem from an incident in which Cho allegedly forced the chief purser off a December 5 New York-Seoul KAL flight, compelling the taxiing plane to return to the gate so he could disembark.

Cho, who was a KAL vice president at the time, had taken exception to being served macadamia nuts she had not asked for — and in a bag, not a bowl.

She has denied physically assaulting the chief steward, Park Chang-Jin, who says she made him kneel and beg for forgiveness while jabbing him with a service manual.

Korean Air heiress not happy with nuts served on flight.

In their opening statements, Cho’s lawyers argued the charges were based on “exaggerated statements” and that there had been no breach of safety laws, given that the plane was on the ground and had not even reached the runway when it turned back.

“The charge that she violated aviation safety rules should be reconsidered,” her lawyer said, adding that Cho was “extremely remorseful” about her behaviour.

PUBLIC BACKLASH

The incident triggered a huge public backlash. Cho was seen as emblematic of a generation of spoiled and arrogant offspring of owners of the giant family-run conglomerates, or “chaebols,” that dominate the South Korean economy.

Cho resigned from all her KAL posts and publicly apologised for her behaviour, which her father also criticised as a “foolish act”.

The story hit international headlines and was seen as something of a national embarrassment, with South Korean media commentators suggesting Cho had shamed the country.

She was formally arrested on December 30 and has been detained in custody since then.

The family’s image was further tarnished when prosecutors revealed that Cho’s younger sister — also a senior KAL executive — had sent her a text message promising to take “revenge” on her behalf. The sister later apologised for her remarks.

Korean Air heiress Cho Hyun-Ah surrounded by journalists at a court in Seoul on December 30. Picture: Jung Yeon-Je / AFP

Cho appeared in court along with a company executive, who was indicted for evidence tampering, and a transport ministry official accused of leaking details of a government probe into the case.

The transport ministry plans to sanction KAL with a limited flight route ban that could last for up to a month, or with fines of up to $2 million.

Separately, it has vowed to punish eight of its officials after admitting their investigation into the affair was biased in favour of Cho and Korean Air.