Korean Air exec charged in nut case, could face 15 years in prison

Korean Air exec charged in nut case, could face 15 years in prison
(Image credit: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

If the former Korean Air Lines executive famous for throwing a crew member off her flight after he offered macadamia nuts in a bag is found guilty of all four charges against her, she could face up to 15 years in prison.

Cho Hyun-ah is being charged in South Korea with forcing a flight to change its normal route, violence against the flight crew, hindering a government probe, and forcing the flight's purser off the plane, The Associated Press reports. Witnesses say that on Dec. 5, 2014, Cho, whose father is chairman of Korean Air Lines, hurled insults at the crew, threw something against the cabin wall, and forced the crew to kneel in front of her.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.