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Korean Air 'nut rage' executive wants lawsuit moved to South Korea

By Elizabeth Shim
Former Korean Air executive Cho Hyun-ah's legal advisers have requested a lawsuit filed in New York be transferred to South Korea. File Photo by Yonhap
Former Korean Air executive Cho Hyun-ah's legal advisers have requested a lawsuit filed in New York be transferred to South Korea. File Photo by Yonhap

SEOUL, July 31 (UPI) -- Cho Hyun-ah, the South Korean airline executive accused of assaulting cabin crew for serving macadamia nuts in a plastic bag, must wait until September to find out whether a lawsuit filed against her in New York is to be dismissed.

Kim Do-hee, the flight attendant on Korean Air who served Cho the nuts last December, filed a lawsuit at a Queens county court in March, South Korean outlet Newsis reported.

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Kim's lawsuit claims Cho "poured insults and assaulted [Kim] in the cabin," and that not only was she "traumatized" by the experience but also "suffered damage to her career and reputation," Yonhap reported.

Cho's legal advisers requested the case be transferred to South Korea on July 13, on the premise the parties involved were South Korean nationals and all material in the investigation is written in Korean.

Cho's advisers requested Kim reply to the request by Wednesday, but on Friday Kim said she is to submit her response by Sept. 13, because she "needs more time."

The New York court would compare the arguments of both sides before making a final decision to either pursue or dismiss the case.

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Kim's case falls under U.S. jurisdiction because the incident dubbed "nut rage" took place at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport prior to takeoff.

During the incident, Cho was accused of assaulting Kim then forcing Korean Air cabin crew chief Park Chang-jin to kneel before her and strike his knuckles into a digital tablet.

Cho later ejected Park from the flight, leaving him stranded at the airport.

South Korea press reported Kim could seek punitive damages in a U.S. court not available in South Korea legal proceedings. While the exact dollar amount was not specified, damages paid to Kim would be significantly higher in the United States than in South Korea.

On Friday, a Korean Air spokesman told Yonhap boxes that belonged to the former Korean Air executive went through customs, disputing reports that Cho's belongings did not go through proper inspections after her December flight.

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