Biodun Iginla, BBC News

Biodun Iginla, BBC News
Showing posts with label korean nut rage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label korean nut rage. Show all posts

Friday, January 30, 2015

Korean Air head scolded daughter over 'nut rage' case


by Xian Wan and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Seoul

Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho arrives to testify at the court hearing of his daughter Cho Hyun-ah at the Seoul Western District court in Seoul on Friday Mr Cho said he had castigated his daughter over the incident

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The Korean Air chief, Cho Yang-ho, has told a court he scolded his 40-year-old daughter for ejecting an air steward in a now infamous "nut rage" incident.
Both father and daughter apologised to the court for the incident, which erupted when Cho Hyun-ah was served nuts in a packet rather than on a plate.
Ms Cho appeared in green prison overalls, her hair falling over her face and speaking in a whisper.
She could face 10 years in jail.
She has denied forcing the flight attendant and the cabin crew chief to kneel and beg forgiveness while she shouted abuse.
In court, the attendant who mis-served the nuts said she was pushed by Ms Cho, a push now alleged to amount to a criminal assault.
Ms Cho is also accused of interfering with the execution of duty and coercing employees to give false testimony.
The case has sparked a storm in South Korea, highlighting nepotism within the country's mighty conglomerates, or "chaebol", and the perceived arrogance of the offspring of chaebol chiefs.
Ms Cho and her siblings have all served as executives with Korean Air.
'Uncontrolled emotions' Plenty of humble pie is being eaten by some of South Korea's most privileged people in the aftermath of this incident, says the BBC's Steve Evans in Seoul.
"It was wrong to get a crew member off the flight no matter what the reason," Mr Cho told the court, during his first appearance in the witness box, according to Reuters news agency.
Cho Hyun-ah bows her head as she is led into detention on 30 December 2014 Ms Cho has consistently adopted a posture of childlike repentance in a country known for filial piety and generational hierarchy
"I have scolded her for not controlling her emotions and [for] expelling the crew member," he said as his daughter appeared to wipe away tears.
He apologised to the crew chief whom Mr Cho forced to leave the flight, and promised he would face no reprisals if he chose to stay in his job.
Ms Cho ordered the plane to return to the gate while it was taxiing to the runway in New York on 5 December to eject the crew chief, causing an 11-minute delay to its arrival in South Korea.
The female flight attendant who served the nuts also gave testimony on Friday, saying she was pushed and had a service manual thrown at her by Ms Cho during the incident.
She said she was subsequently pressured to accept an apology from Ms Cho in exchange for a job as a professor, but did not accept.

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Monday, January 19, 2015

Korean Air executive 'nut rage' trial begins


by Xian Wan and Biodun Iginla, BBC Newsbeat Online

Cho Hyun-ah Ms Cho publicly apologised and resigned from all her posts at the company

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The trial has begun in Seoul of a South Korean airline executive who flew into a rage when macadamia nuts were served to her in a bag and not on a plate.
Cho Hyun-ah, a former vice president of Korean Air, ordered her plane that was taxiing to return to the gate and offload the chief steward.
The "nut rage" incident occurred on a Seoul-bound flight from New York on 5 December.
On Monday, she pleaded not guilty to charges of obstructing aviation safety.
Forty-year-old Ms Cho, who has been detained since 30 December, was wearing a green prison uniform in the packed courtroom.
She stood with her head lowered and answered questions in a whisper.
Cameramen take images of a prison bus carrying Korean Air heiress Cho Hyun-Ah as she arrives at a court in Seoul on January 19, 2015. Ms Cho was brought to the court in a prison bus
Ms Cho's lawyers argued in the opening statement that the charges were based on "exaggerated statements" and that the safety violations were minor given the plane was still on the ground and had not yet reached the runway.
Ms Cho, who is the daughter of Korean Air chief executive Cho Yang-ho, is also accused of interfering in the execution of a government official's duty and coercion, according to prosecutors, who said she allegedly exerted influence in the government investigation.
She faces a maximum 10 years in jail if found guilty of diverting the aircraft with no good reason.
She publicly apologised for the incident and resigned from all her posts at the airline in December.
However, the story was widely seen as an example of poor management in South Korea's family-run conglomerates, or "chaebols" that dominate the country's business landscape.
The Korean transport ministry said it would place sanctions on Korean Air of a ban on some routes or fines of up to $2m (£1.3m).

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