'Nut rage' Korean Air heir changes her name

Former Korean Air Lines Vice President Cho Seung-yeon, formerly known as Cho Hyun-ah [JOONGANG ILBO]

Former Korean Air Lines Vice President Cho Hyun-ah, a central figure in the "nut rage" scandal, changed her name to Cho Seung-yeon.

Cho reportedly received approval from the Seoul Family Court for the change, according to industry sources Thursday.

She made headlines in December 2014 for ordering a Korean Air flight to return to the gate at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport before takeoff after a flight attendant served her an unopened macadamia nut package, which she reportedly found dissatisfying.

Cho resigned from all positions after the incident due to a public uproar.

She returned to head KAL Hotel Network, an affiliate of Hanjin KAL, in March 2018, but again resigned from the post when the news of her younger sister Cho Hyun-min throwing a cup of water at an advertising agency staff broke.

Cho Hyun-min is the current president of Hanjin Transportation.

The Cho family made headlines again in 2018 when a video of Lee Myung-hee, the mother of the two, cursing at and shoving employees in 2014 was released.

Lee also had reportedly thrown scissors at security guards and physically assaulted a Filipino housekeeper on multiple occasions.

BY SOHN DONG-JOO [sohn.dongjoo@joongang.co.kr]