(LEAD) Chief steward from 'nut rage' incident returns to work

(ATTN: REVISES para 2 to correct that Park returned to work as chief purser, not as flight attendant)

SEOUL, Feb. 1 (Yonhap) -- The senior cabin crew member of Korean Air Lines Co. who stood at the center of the "nut rage" incident returned to work Sunday, a move that will likely put the country's leading carrier under another round of scrutiny over whether there will be any retribution against the man whose whistleblowing led to the indictment of the daughter of the company chief.

Korean Air said Park Chang-jin returned to service on a morning domestic flight out of Seoul to the southern city of Busan.

Park was forced off a Korean Air flight that was heading back to Seoul from New York on Dec. 5 last year at the order of Cho Hyun-ah, former vice president of the carrier and the eldest daughter of the company chairman, who was angered that she was served her macadamia nuts in a bag rather than on a plate.

Cho was indicted last month on charges of obstructing aviation safety.

While Cho and company officials tried to cover up the case by pressing Park and other flight crew members to lie about the details of the incident, the head purser came forward to explain what happened.

Cho Yang-ho, the chairman of Korean Air, was put on the witness stand last week at his daughter's trial. He apologized to Park and said there will be "no disadvantage" against him when he returns to work. Park went on leave right after the nut controversy.

The company said Park was put on a domestic flight in adherence to company policy on duty rotation.

"Servicing on long-distance flights is exhausting, so crew members are placed on domestic or Japan routes three to four times a month," a company official said. "(Park) is likely to go on long-distance flights toward the end of this month."
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