Korean man who opened plane door mid-flight 'wanted to get off quickly': report

Unidentified suspect opened door as plane was approaching Daegu airport

The man who opened an airplane door mid-flight on Friday told authorities it was because he was feeling claustrophobic, according to Reuters.

The unidentified suspect, a man in his 30s, was arrested at Daegu International Airport in South Korea after he opened the emergency door 700 feet in the air as the plane was landing.

The man told authorities that he opened the door because he was feeling claustrophobic and wanted to leave the aircraft quickly. 

Other passengers attempted to stop the suspect but failed to prevent him from partially opening the emergency exit door.

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Arrested man Korea airbus

Police officers in plain clothes arrest an airplane passenger at Daegu International Airport in Daegu, South Korea, on May 26, 2023, after the man opened an emergency exit door during landing. (Yun Kwan-shick/Yonhap via AP / AP Newsroom)

The Asiana Airlines Airbus A321 aircraft was immediately filled with a sharp whirlwind that disoriented passengers.

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South Korea flight

An Asiana Airlines plane is parked after one of the plane's doors suddenly opened at Daegu International Airport in Daegu, South Korea, Friday, May 26, 2023. A passenger opened a door on an Asiana Airlines flight that later landed safely at a South K (Yun Kwan-shick/Yonhap via AP / AP Newsroom)

Upon landing, the suspect was arrested by police on charges of violating aviation security laws.

The plane was en route to the Daegu airport in the southeastern region of the Korean peninsula.

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Korea door open flight plane

An emergency exit door of an Asiana Airlines plane is seen at Daegu International Airport in Daegu, South Korea, Friday, May 26, 2023, after a passenger opened it during a flight. (Yun Kwan-shick/Yonhap via AP / AP Newsroom)

The suspect allegedly pulled open the emergency door while at a 700-foot altitude during the plane's descent.

The incident is being investigated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for violation of aviation law.

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The passenger reportedly told officials he had been under intense stress after losing his job and felt like he was suffocating.