Korean Supreme Court Upholds Acquittal of Heather Cho in “Nut Rage” Case

Hopefully this will be the last we hear about the Nut-Rage case:

The top court upheld a lower court ruling that acquitted former Korean Air Executive Vice President Heather Cho, Thursday, of the “nut rage” case three years ago that triggered nationwide outrage over the rich and powerful abusing their positions.
Cho is the eldest daughter of Chairman Cho Yang-ho of Korean Air, the country’s largest full-service carrier.

In the first 13-member full-panel ruling deliberated by the 13 Supreme Court justices including chief justice Kim Meong-su after he took the top post, the court said she did not violate aviation law by ordering the plane to change its air route, an offense that carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison.

“The air route, the point of contention here, should be interpreted as referring to the aircraft’s course when it is flying, not when it is taxiing on the ground,” the court said.
“The lower court’s ruling was apt in making such a determination, and there was no misinterpretation of the law that requires a review.”  [Korea Times]

You can read more at the link, but this whole incident seemed to me to be all about over charging her to appease public sentiment and then quietly letting the appeals court over turn the conviction.  Remember Korea is a rule by law and not a rule of law society.  This case is a perfect example of it.