'Nut rage' flight attendant sues Korean Air Lines and exec Cho Hyun-ah

A flight attendant who was harassed by a former Korean Air Lines Co. vice president in what became known as the nut rage case filed a civil lawsuit against the airline and the executive.

Two New York law firms, the Weinstein Law Firm and Kobre & Kim, said in a statement Wednesday that Kim Do Hee was verbally and physically attacked by Cho Hyun-ah, who is also the daughter of the airline chairman, who became enraged at how Kim served macadamia nuts to her as the plane was set to leave New York on a flight to Seoul on Dec. 5..

Cho, then a vice president overseeing cabin service, forced the taxiing plane to return to a gate at John F. Kennedy International Airport and removed another crew member from the plane.

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 to one year in prison for violating aviation security laws, using violence against a flight attendant and other charges. Cho 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.

The statement says Kim was unable to resolve the dispute privately.