- The widow of the former chair of
Korean Air has been convicted of assault charges including kicking her chauffeur and throwing a pair of secateurs, the Associated Press reported. - Lee Myung-hee, 70, is the mother of Heather Cho, who made headlines for the 'nut rage' incident.
- In 2014, Heather Cho told a Korean Air flight to turn around because she was angry at being given macadamia nuts in a bag instead of a plate.
- Lee has been given a two year prison sentence, suspended for three years, the AP reported.
The widow of the former chair of Korean Air has been convicted of charges including assault on her chauffeur, security guard and other staff, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Seoul Central District Court found that Lee Myung-hee, 70, had habitually abused employees between 2011 and 2018, the AP reported.
The family, which founded the airline, had already made headlines for high-handed behavior towards workers.
In 2014 Lee's daughter Cho Hyun-ah — also known as Heather Cho — ordered a flight to turn around because she was angry that she had been served macadamia nuts in a bag rather than on a plate, according to the AP.
Heather Cho stepped down from her position as an executive at the airline in 2018, Reuters reported.
Her sister Emily Cho also stepped down in 2018, after police started investigations into reports that she had thrown a drink in an executive's face during a business meeting, Bloomberg reported.
Emily Cho returned to the company in a social responsibility role in 2019, according to Bloomberg, but it is now her mother that is bringing notoriety to the airline with her conviction.
According to the AP, Lee had been accused of kicking her chauffeur for not loading luggage into her car, and of throwing pruning shears towards a security guard.
Although prosecutors sought a two-and-a-half year jail term, Lee was given a suspended sentence on the grounds of her age, and that she had acknowledged her excesses, the agency reported.
Koran Air is currently run by founder Cho Yang-ho's son, Cho Won-tae, according to AP.
Business Insider contacted Korean Air representatives for comment, but did not immediately receive a reply.