Man arrested for opening Asiana plane door mid-flight in South Korea

SEOUL, May 26 (UPI) -- A passenger opened the emergency exit on an Asiana Airlines plane as it approached the southeastern city of Daegu on Friday, authorities said, causing a terrifying scene in the cabin and leaving a dozen passengers with breathing difficulties before the plane landed safely.

The suspect, identified by police as a 33-year-old man, opened the door while the plane was at an altitude of 700 feet on its approach to Daegu International Airport, the South Korean Transport Ministry said in a statement.

He was apprehended by police, whose investigation confirmed that he had attempted to open the door, the ministry said. Twelve passengers complained of having trouble breathing and were transferred to a local hospital but were not in serious condition, the statement added.

Asiana Airlines Flight OZ8124 had 194 passengers on board and took off from Jeju Island on Friday morning local time for a short trip from the popular holiday destination. The Airbus A321 departed shortly before noon and landed at 12:39 p.m., according to flight tracker website Flightradar 24.

A cellphone video shot by a passenger and shared widely on local media showed the plane's emergency exit door hanging open as a roaring wind whipped through the cabin, blowing around passengers' hair and seat headrest covers.

Witnesses told news agency Yonhap that the suspect attempted to jump out of the plane after opening the door but was restrained by other passengers and flight crew.

Police said that the man's motive was still unknown.

The Transport Ministry said that it was investigating whether the suspect violated the Aviation Security Act, which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.