소송을 담당한 코브레 앤 킴 법률사무소 (Kobre & Kim)는 김씨가 9일 (현지시각) 조 전 부사장을 폭언•폭행 및 모욕 혐의로 미국 뉴욕 퀸즈 지방법원에 민사소송을 제기했다고 밝혔다
김씨의 변호를 공동으로 맡고 있는 웨인스테인 로펌 (The Weinstein Law Firm)은 보도자료를 통해 “증거에 기초해 봤을 때 조현아의 행위는 김씨에 대한 모욕과 비하 뿐 아니라 조현아의 억제되지 않은 오만한 태도와 특권의식을 보여준다”고 설명했다.
또 “한국 법원은 이미 조현아가 형사적 책임이 있다고 판결했으며, 뉴욕 법원도 김씨의 경력과 평판, 정신적인 안녕에 피해를 입힌 조현아에 대한 민사상 책임을 물을 수 있을 것으로 확신하고 있다”고 덧붙였다.
코브레 앤 킴 법률사무소의 조나단 코겐은 “김씨가 소송없이 조씨 및 대한항공과 개인적으로 문제를 해결하길 원했지만 대한항공측에서 실질적인 합의를 도출하는데 참여하지 않았다”고 설명했다.
이에 대한항공은 2월 초 원고측 변호인의 합의 요청을 받고 성실히 응하겠다고 답하면서 다만 이에 대한 법률적 검토가 필요하고 조현아 전 부사장의 형사 소송이 끝나지도 않은 상황이어서 시간을 달라고 청한 상태였다고 밝혔다.
조현아 전 부사장은 지난해 12월 5일 뉴욕 JFK국제공항에서 인천국제공항으로 가는 대한항공 KE086편 일등석에 탑승해 이륙 과정에서 승무원의 서비스에 문제가 있다며 항공기를 탑승구로 되돌려 사무장을 강제로 공항에 내리도록 지시한 혐의로 같은 달 30일 구속됐다.
조현아 전 부사장은 전날인 12일 오후 3시 서울서부지법 형사합의12부의 심리로 진행된 선고공판에서 징역 1년의 실형을 선고받았다.
<관련 영문 기사>
‘Nut rage’ victim files civil suit in U.S.
A Korean Air flight attendant involved in the “nut rage” incident has filed a civil lawsuit against Heather Cho, the former vice president of the airliner, with a court in the United States on Monday, saying she was subjected to verbal and physical abuse and humiliation.
The suit was filed on Monday in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Queens County, according to U.S.-based law firms representing Kim Do-hee on Wednesday.
Kim, a female cabin crew member who served macadamia nuts in a bag instead of on a dish to first-class passenger Cho, a daughter of Korean Air chairman Cho Yang-ho, was verbally and physically abused by the former executive for not following the in-flight service manual on a Seoul-bound Korean Air flight from New York on Dec. 5. Angered by the service, Cho chided the cabin crew chief and ordered the taxiing plane to offload him.
“The evidence in this case will demonstrate that Heather Cho’s actions were not only humiliating, degrading and damaging to Kim, but were also emblematic of Cho’s unbridled arrogance and disturbing sense of entitlement,” said Andrew J. Weinstein, founder of The Weinstein Law Firm representing Kim in a press release.
He added that he is “very confident that the legal system in New York will find Cho civilly responsible for the extensive damage that she has caused to Kim’s career, reputation and emotional well-being.”
During a court testimony in Seoul in January, Kim said Korean Air offered her a position as a college professor in return for giving testimony favorable to Cho in her trial, but she rejected the offer.
“Kim had hoped to privately resolve this dispute with Cho and Korean Air without the need for litigation. Unfortunately, Cho and Korean Air, through their respective counsel, have not to date engaged with us in any substantive settlement discussions,” said Jonathan D. Cogan, a partner in the New York office of the international litigation boutique Kobre & Kim.
Kim is seeking compensatory damages and punitive damages, and the amount will be determined at the trial.
A Korean Air spokesman told The Korea Herald that the company has not yet been able to give an official comment regarding the lawsuit as it has not received a complaint from the plaintiff’s attorney.
Kim is currently on sick leave until March 18.
In February, the South Korean court sentenced Cho to one year in prison after finding her guilty for violating the aviation safety law and other charges. Cho filed a notice of appeal to the Seoul court on the following day.
By Park Han-na and Shin Ji-hye
(
hnpark@heraldcorp.com) (
shinjh@heraldcorp.com)
