Korean Air Heiress Sentenced to 1 Year in Prison for Assault

The inflight tantrum dubbed 'nut rage' culminated Thursday in a one year prison sentence for Korean Air heiress Cho Hyun-ah, a humiliating rebuke that only partially quelled public outrage at the excesses of South Korea's business elite. Cho, the daughter of Korean Air's chairman, achieved worldwide notoriety after she ordered the chief flight attendant off a December 5th flight, forcing it to return to the gate at JFK Airport in New York. Cho was angered she had been offered macadamia nuts in a bag -instead of on a dish. A heated and physical confrontation with members of the crew in first class ensued. A Seoul court said Cho was guilty of forcing a flight to change its route, obstructing the flight's captain in the performance of his duties, forcing a crew member off a plane, and assaulting a crew member. Cho's attorney left the court without answering a question about whether she will appeal.