Debate has been reignited over whether it was timely or too soon for Korean Air heiress Cho Hyun-ah, known for her “nut rage” tantrum that sparked international uproar in 2014, to make an official comeback to work after three years and four months this week.

According to KAL Hotel Network, a subsidiary of Korean Air under Hanjin Group, 44-year-old Cho was approved as its president during a shareholders meeting held Thursday. 

Cho, the former vice president of Korean Air and daughter of Korean Air chief Cho Yang-ho, became an icon of power abuse after she ordered her Seoul-bound flight to return to the gate in New York in December 2014 because she was upset about the way her macadamia nuts were served. 

Her comeback comes three months after the Supreme Court upheld a lower court‘s suspended sentence for Cho, who was indicted on charges of violating the aviation security law, coercion and abuse of power.

Negative reaction continued online over Cho’s return to take control of KAL Hotel Network, which operates four hotels including Jeju KAL Hotel, Seogwipo KAL Hotel, Paradise Hotel Jeju and Grand Hyatt Incheon.

“I was very disappointed at Hanjin Group’s decision to bring her back to the management so soon,” read one online comment. 

Another wrote “(her return) sets a good example of how a Korean chaebol family has no practice of noblesse oblige.”

Korean Air declined to further comment on Cho’s return, saying that “the former executive vice president has long been involved in managing hotels under Hanjin Group and she will be in charge of hotel-related businesses based on her experience.” 

Rumors had circulated recently that Cho was preparing to return, with the company promoting women-friendly policies that she had led before the incident. 

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)