Ex-Korea Air executive convicted in 'nut rage' incident, jailed for 1 year


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On Thursday, a court in Seoul convicted former Korean Air executive Cho Hyun-ah of illegally forcing a flight last December back to the gate, after a flight attendant apparently served her macadamia nuts incorrectly in first class. "She forced the plane to turn around as if it were her own private plane," Judge Oh Seong-u said when sentencing her to one year in jail. Prosecutors had asked for three years.
The "nut rage" incident also harmed the "national image" of South Korea, Judge Oh said. "It is doubtful that the way the nuts were served was so wrong." Cho, one of the wealthiest women in South Korea, is the daughter of Korean Air chairman Cho Yang-ho. The court also sentenced another airline executive, Yeo Un-jin, to eight months in jail for trying to silence the crew to protect Cho Huan-ah. Watch Reuters' report on Cho's sentence below. —Peter Weber
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A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Peter Weber is a senior editor at TheWeek.com, and has handled the editorial night shift since the website launched in 2008. A graduate of Northwestern University, Peter has worked at Facts on File and The New York Times Magazine. He speaks Spanish and Italian and plays bass and rhythm cello in an Austin rock band. Follow him on Twitter.
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