According to Yonhap News Agency, a passenger on an Asiana Airlines aircraft informed authorities that he opened a door on the plane minutes before it landed in Daegu, South Korea, on Friday because he was "uncomfortable."
According to Yonhap, the man, in his thirties, told police that he opened the door because he "wanted to get off the plane quickly." He also admitted to authorities that he was stressed as a result of his recent job loss. When the man opened the door while the jet was about 700 feet (213m) above the earth, it caused fear on board.
Nine passengers were sent to the hospital for respiratory problems. According to a fire department official, everyone were released from the hospital after roughly two hours. According to Yonhap, police want to arrest the detained individual after the investigation is completed.
According to Jin Seong-Hyun, a former Korean Air cabin safety official, this case is unprecedented as far as he is aware, but passengers have opened emergency exits without authorization while the plane is on the ground. According to a South Korean transport ministry official, opening emergency exits at or near ground level was achievable because the pressures inside and outside the cabin were similar.