Police: Man who opened door on Korean flight wanted to exit plane quickly

May 27 (UPI) -- A man who opened the door of an Asiana Airlines plane just before it landed has claimed he felt suffocated and wanted to get off the plane quickly, South Korean officials said Saturday.

The unidentified 33 year-old-man said he had been under a lot of stress after losing his job recently and he opened the door because he wanted to get off the plane, the Yonhap News Agency reported.

Asiana Airlines Flight OZ8124 had 194 passengers on board and took off from Jeju Island on Friday morning 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.

The suspect 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 on Friday.

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.

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