Air rage costs Korean yoga disciple $62,000

A Korean tourist who was arrested after he became violent when he wasn’t allowed to do yoga on a plane leaving Hawaii won’t get additional jail time, but he must pay United Airlines more than US$44,000 (NZ$62,000).

A federal judge in Honolulu yesterday sentenced Hyongtae Pae to time served, which was about 13 days. He will be under court supervision for three years, which is the amount of time he has to pay the restitution.

Pae and his wife were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary with a Hawaii holiday, and the couple were heading home when he was arrested.

According to court records, Pae didn’t want to sit in his seat during the meal service on the March flight from Honolulu to Tokyo, so he went to the back of the plane to do yoga and meditate. Authorities say he refused to return to his seat, threatened crew members and passengers and shoved his wife.

The pilot turned the plane around and returned to Honolulu. Pae told authorities after his arrest that he hadn’t slept for 11 days.

Court records say he threatened to kill passengers and was yelling that there is no god. Pae went into a rage because he felt the flight crew was ordering him around, prosecutors said.

He pleaded guilty in April to interfering with a flight crew and was allowed to return home to South Korea, even though prosecutors warned he might not return for his sentencing.

Judge Helen Gillmor said she agreed with prosecutors that Pae’s actions constituted a violent felony. Because of that, it is possible he may be barred from the US.

That’s fine by Pae, who is in his 70s and doesn’t intend to travel to the US, said his defence attorney, Jin Tae Kim.

‘‘I think your client is getting off very easy’’ with the $44,235 restitution amount considering the costs of turning the plane around, Gillmor said.

‘‘I take this very seriously and I have a great deal of concern about this behaviour.’’