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Former 'nut rage' Korean Air crew chief appointed DP deputy spokesperson

Published: 18 Dec. 2024, 18:43

MICHAEL LEE
[email protected]

Former Korean Air cabin crew chief Park Chang-jin speaks at a press conference in Seocho District, southern Seoul, in November 2017. [YONHAP]

A former Korean Air cabin crew chief who was at the center of the airline's so-called nut rage incident said Wednesday that he was appointed deputy spokesperson of the liberal Democratic Party (DP).

In a post uploaded to Instagram, Park Chang-jin said he had been notified of his appointment by the party and promised to “work with humility” for the benefit of the DP.

Park was forced off Korean Air Flight 086 in December 2014 along with a first-class flight attendant after the daughter of the company’s CEO, then-named Cho Hyun-ah, forced both to kneel for forgiveness after the attendant served her macadamia nuts in a closed bag rather than on a plate.

Cho, who has since changed her name to Cho Seung-yeon, repeatedly struck Park’s knuckles with a digital tablet before ordering the pilot to return the aircraft to the gate to force both crewmembers off the flight.

Her outburst, which later became known as the nut rage incident, triggered scrutiny of both Korean Air and its holding company Hanjin Group, as well as the behavior of families who control Korea’s large conglomerates, also known as chaebol.

Park became a labor rights activist and entered the minor liberal Justice Party after leaving Korean Air in 2017.

He partially won a compensation lawsuit in 2018 against the company for demoting him after the incident.

He later became the Justice Party’s deputy leader but quit the party in September 2022 over various disagreements.

BY MICHAEL LEE [[email protected]]