Arrest warrant for man in 30s who opened emergency door on Asiana plane "wanting to get off early" = Korea

South Korean police have issued an arrest warrant for a man who left Jeju airport and opened the aircraft's emergency door about 213 meters (700 feet) just before landing at Daegu airport, terrifying passengers.

On the afternoon of May 27th, the Daegu Dongbu Police Station applied for an arrest warrant for Lee (33), on suspicion of violating the Air Safety Act. The police explained the reason for applying for the warrant, saying, "We have determined that Mr. Lee's crime is serious and there is a risk of him fleeing, so we need to secure his custody."

Lee is suspected of forcibly opening the emergency door just before landing on an Asiana Airlines flight from Jeju Airport to Daegu Airport around 12:35 p.m. the previous day.

Mr Lee, who boarded the plane alone from Jeju, was arrested by the police immediately after landing. Mr Lee refused to give any statement after his emergency arrest by the police the previous day, but when the police investigation continued, he reportedly stated that he had recently lost his job and was under a lot of stress, and that he had opened the door before the plane landed because he was in pain and wanted to get off early.

At the time of the crime, Mr. Lee continued to perform dangerous actions such as opening the emergency door and hanging from the wall next to him, but he was subdued by the crew and passengers.

There were 194 people on board the plane, and 12 passengers complained of trouble breathing and some were taken to hospital.

According to Article 23 of the Aviation Security Law, passengers who operate emergency doors, exits, or equipment on board an aircraft can be sentenced to imprisonment for up to 10 years.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is investigating Asiana Airlines for defects in the aircraft and whether the crew has followed safety procedures.