Sør-Korea slår ned på unruly pax - Curt Lewis

Nut-rage incident prompts South Korea to amend aviation law

Country toughens punishments on unruly passengers after incident involving daughter of Korean Air boss and bag of macadamias

Cho Hyun-ah served five months in jail before walking free last May after an appeals court overturned her conviction for violating aviation safety laws. Photograph: Ahn Young-joon/AP

South Korea has brought a new "anti-nut rage" law into effect, prompted by an angry outburst by the daughter of Korean Air's boss over a bag of macadamias.

The revised aviation law, which drastically toughens punishments on unruly passengers, was a direct result of the "nut rage" incident involving Cho Hyun-Ah in December 2014, the transportation ministry said.

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"The amended law reflects mounting public demand for enhanced aviation safety and the prevention of unruly behaviour during flight following the Korean Air nut rage incident," the ministry said in a press statement.

Under the new law, anyone who disturbs the pilot during a flight could face up to five years in prison or a 50m-won (£29,000) fine. In the past, the same offence incurred only a 5m-won fine without the risk of a jail term.

In addition, crew members are now obliged to hand over unruly passengers to authorities - failing to do so risks a 10m-won fine.

Cho, 41, served five months in jail before walking free last May after an appeals court overturned her conviction for violating aviation safety laws.

Cho was a Korean Air vice-president at the time of her outburst on board a Seoul-bound flight that had just left the gate in New York.

As the plane was taxiing to the runway, Cho, sitting in first class, became enraged when a flight attendant served her some nuts in a bag, rather than on a plate.

She lambasted the chief steward over the behaviour of his cabin crew and then ordered the plane back to the gate so he could be ejected.