Businessman Guilty of Interfering With Plane’s Flight Crew

A businessman who caused a disturbance aboard a flight from South Korea to Los Angeles last Nov. 21 was convicted by a federal jury Thursday of interfering with the flight crew.

Young Kun Kim, 64, of El Cajon became irate when he was seated near a lavatory aboard the Asiana Airlines flight and demanded to be relocated to the business or first-class sections, said Assistant U.S. Atty. John B. Owens.

When told he would not be moved, Kim cursed at flight attendants, demanded entry to the cockpit and gestured with his hands to simulate an explosion, Owens said.

Flight attendants summoned the captain, who tried to pacify Kim. When he continued screaming and cursing, Owens said, Kim was handcuffed and moved to the back of the plane away from other passengers.

Kim, an exporter of dental supplies, was turned over to the FBI when the plane landed at Los Angeles International Airport nine hours later.

Kim faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he can realistically expect a much shorter sentence.

Similar cases prosecuted in Los Angeles federal court during the past six months have resulted in sentences ranging from one to five years behind bars.

After his arrest, Kim told agents that he had two Bloody Marys before boarding the plane in Inchon.

Testifying in his own defense during the three-day trial, Kim denied making threats. He said he would have been satisfied with any seat away from the lavatory.

Kim also said he could not understand everything the flight attendants told him because he has a hearing problem.

Owens told the jury that Kim’s alleged hearing deficit was no excuse. He said the passengers and crew were terrified by Kim’s behavior.

Kim’s attorney, Walter Urban, conceded that his client might have been obnoxious, but he contended that the flight crew overreacted because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Morrow set sentencing for Sept. 9. Kim remains free on bail.