Nut rage flight attendant sues Korean Air, former exec

[webfact]

Nut rage flight attendant sues Korean Air, former exec
YOUKYUNG LEE, AP Business Writer

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A flight attendant who was living her dream by working for Korean Air Lines Co. is now suing the airline and its infamous nut rage executive, claiming the bizarre onboard tantrum ruined her career.

Kim Do Hee, the flight attendant, is seeking compensation through a trial in New York city after she was verbally and physically attacked by Korean Air heiress Cho Hyun-ah, according to a statement on Wednesday by two American law firms, the Weinstein Law Firm and Kobre & Kim.

Cho, a vice president overseeing cabin service at the time of the Dec. 5 incident, was enraged that Kim, 27, served her macadamia nuts in a bag, not on a dish.

After a heated confrontation with crew in the first class cabin, Cho ordered head flight attendant Park Chang-jin off the plane, forcing it to return to a gate at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

It is the first civil lawsuit connected with the nut rage case, which infuriated South Koreans and hogged global headlines. Last month a South Korean court sentenced Cho, 40, to one year in prison for violating aviation security laws, using violence against a flight attendant and other charges. Cho, who is the daughter of Korean Air's chairman, has appealed the ruling.

The summons filed Monday with the Supreme Court of the State of New York County of Queens said Cho screamed obscenities at Kim and hit and threatened her.

She was also pressured to lie to government investigators to cover up the incident and to appear in public with Cho "as part of an orchestrated effort to try and rehabilitate Cho's public image," the summons said.

Kim is seeking compensatory damages and punitive damages in an amount to be determined at the trial.

Kim was unable to resolve the dispute privately and both Korean Air and Cho did not engage in "any substantive" settlement discussions with Kim's lawyers, the statement said. Cho will be held responsible for the damage that she has caused to Kim's career, reputation, and emotional well-being, it said.

During Cho's trial in Seoul last month, Kim testified that Cho's power at the airline was "unimaginably big" and she could not refuse her orders.

She also said Korean Air was her dream job since she was a high school student but after false rumors spread on the Internet about her accepting a professorship in exchange for lying to investigators, she could not return to work as a flight attendant.

Both Cho's lawyer and Korean Air Lines did not respond to a request for comment.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-03-11

[MaeJoMTB]

Would "I'm terribly sorry madam, let me get you a dish" have been so hard to say?

(based on the premise serving staff are there to please their customers)

Edited March 11, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[MisterTee]

Tempest in a teapot... with some nuts added.

[steve187]

I wonder why she is suing in USA and not Korea

[JetsetBkk]

I wonder why she is suing in USA and not Korea

No you don't.

[JetsetBkk]

Would "I'm terribly sorry madam, let me get you a dish" have been so hard to say?

(based on the premise serving staff are there to please their customers)

Maybe she did. Were you there?

[steve187]

I wonder why she is suing in USA and not Korea

No you don't.

oh yes i do,

is she from the Usa

or was employed in the Usa

or because the incident occurred in the Usa

or because everyone sues in the Usa

should have written a song 'Back in the Usa'

[MaeJoMTB]

Would "I'm terribly sorry madam, let me get you a dish" have been so hard to say?

(based on the premise serving staff are there to please their customers)

Maybe she did. Were you there?

You know she didn't. Very few Asians get upset after an apology.

Showed disrespect to important ........ you know the rest.

[gchurch259]

Would "I'm terribly sorry madam, let me get you a dish" have been so hard to say?

(based on the premise serving staff are there to please their customers)

Excuse me, If all the customers were served their nuts in a bag it should be no different for this woman, I do not use the word Lady, because she did not act like one.

I worked for several airlines in my career and the company sets the serving standard.

Some people are too impressed with their position or status in life and make an Ass of themselves, I think that may be the case here.

I remember a case a few years back when the Houston, Texas ministers wife showed her Ass on a flight about seating arrangements. The famous line they use "Do you know who I am" ?

[bobobo]

I have a friend who worked for many Years as a flight attendant. At the end of his career, he only worked in 1st class. One time they flew London-New York. They got a warning from the check-in desk that one of their regular customers was in a very,very bad temper. The passenger came aboard and ordered a Manhattan. My friend made the drink, but he put a bit of parsley in the middle of the drink. He srved it. The passenger asked what the <deleted>> the green thing was. My friend said :Central Park sir. Silence and then a big,big laughter. Flight went smooth and everybody happy. You can tackle problems in many different ways, can't You ?

[enufsaid]

Money does not breed manners

[DaddyWarbucks]

Money does not breed manners

Money seems to have very little to do with it.

Nature and nurture more likely.

[ezzra]

What took him so long? now all the Macadamia nuts in Korea will not be enough to

cover his compensations bill....

[lifeincnx]

So much for her contrite, heartfelt apology. She should just get over it and move on. That said she might have a case in suing her hair dresser.

Edited March 11, 2015 by lifeincnx

[bigguy]

The law firm in the USA is well noted for getting MASSIVE settlements for their clients. After it is all said and done, this flight WAITRESS won't have to work another day in her life.

And the picture of her, she looks like she just lost her whole family in a crash,, great acting, great lessons from her legal councel..

Don't you just love the US claims court, you can file a claim if you get a broken nail opening a faulty door. Or anyone remeber the Mc'd's Coffee suit??? She's not driving a beater 78 Ford Pinto anymore....Or maybe she is,,,

[pedro01]

I wonder why she is suing in USA and not Korea

I would imagine the lawyers in the usa contacted her about it.

[Cory1848]

The law firm in the USA is well noted for getting MASSIVE settlements for their clients. After it is all said and done, this flight WAITRESS won't have to work another day in her life.

And the picture of her, she looks like she just lost her whole family in a crash,, great acting, great lessons from her legal councel..

Don't you just love the US claims court, you can file a claim if you get a broken nail opening a faulty door. Or anyone remeber the Mc'd's Coffee suit??? She's not driving a beater 78 Ford Pinto anymore....Or maybe she is,,,

The distraught-looking woman in the photo is Heather Cho, the Korean Air executive who had the original meltdown on the plane, and not the flight attendant who is suing. Ms. Cho has every reason to look distraught: she's spending a year in jail and has been publicly humiliated throughout Korea (not a small matter there) and around the world. I don't think she's acting.

[Daniel Ingalls]

Damn, when I pay first class for a fight on a Korean Airlines, I expect gold plated plates, and maccandania nuts roasted to a temperature

not exceeding 112 degrees, with black pitted olives covered with cottage cheese from the Falkland Islands. Topped off with a white Chateau' wine from Istanbul.

Anything less is considered "economy class", and I expect a refund!

[Bwanatickey]

I like the topics headline, it gives you the immediate impression that the flight attendant was nuts.

[bendejo]

Would "I'm terribly sorry madam, let me get you a dish" have been so hard to say?

(based on the premise serving staff are there to please their customers)

Hard to get a word in edge-wise when the other person is doing a Donald Duck style tantrum. And if you've been around Asia at all you know service people do not talk back to their betters.

[maidee]

and health sites say nuts are good for you

[pomchop]

Hook her up with the Red Bull Heir...they are cut from the same...".Do you know who I am?" cloth and are both accustomed to doing whatever they want whenever they want and however they want. At least the Korean bxtch is hopefully going to jail which is more than the Red Bull murdered got.

[HerbalEd]

Would "I'm terribly sorry madam, let me get you a dish" have been so hard to say?

(based on the premise serving staff are there to please their customers)

How do you know the flight attendant didn't say something like that? You don't.

[Choctastic]

Don't you just love the US claims court, you can file a claim if you get a broken nail opening a faulty door. Or anyone remeber the Mc'd's Coffee suit??? She's not driving a beater 78 Ford Pinto anymore....Or maybe she is,,,

Did you see the pictures? The lady was seriously burned.

[MrWorldwide]

The law firm in the USA is well noted for getting MASSIVE settlements for their clients. After it is all said and done, this flight WAITRESS won't have to work another day in her life.

And the picture of her, she looks like she just lost her whole family in a crash,, great acting, great lessons from her legal councel..

Don't you just love the US claims court, you can file a claim if you get a broken nail opening a faulty door. Or anyone remeber the Mc'd's Coffee suit??? She's not driving a beater 78 Ford Pinto anymore....Or maybe she is,,,

The distraught-looking woman in the photo is Heather Cho, the Korean Air executive who had the original meltdown on the plane, and not the flight attendant who is suing. Ms. Cho has every reason to look distraught: she's spending a year in jail and has been publicly humiliated throughout Korea (not a small matter there) and around the world. I don't think she's acting.

Thanks for pointing that out - it's common for TV's serial morons to leap in with whatever assumptions they can muster from a photograph. Just for the benefit of everyone in this thread, this is what Ms Cho looks like when her face isn't obscured/downcast :

And to the best of my knowledge, this is a photo of Ms Kim

Whatever you think of their respective physical appearances, how many of us would accept the sight of two flight attendants kneeling before a manager on QANTAS or even Thai ? That's what Kim and the FA who served the nuts were forced to do while she berated them, allegedly shoving Kim to reinforce her displeasure. Those who consider FAs glorified waitresses and toilet cleaners might like to consider what it would be like to be put in that position by a spoilt little princess who had clearly never been told how the real world works. This was an extreme case of workplace bullying and I hope the American ambulance chasers take Korean Air and Cho to the cleaners. As pointed out, Cho has lost face in a manner that I think would have caused many in that part of the world to take their own lives - hopefully she'll emerge from this with an understanding that the world doesnt revolve around Daddy's Little Girl any more.