Man who opened plane door mid-flight says it was because he was 'uncomfortable'

The passenger who opened a plane's emergency exit door mid-flight has revealed that he did it because he was "uncomfortable".

As previously reported, the Asiana Airlines Airbus A321 was about to land in Daegu, South Korea, on Friday (May 26) when a passenger pulled the emergency exit handle at an altitude of about 700 feet.

The plane was flying from the island of Jeju and was reportedly two to three minutes from landing in the city when a suspect - alleged to be a man in his thirties - extended the door partially.

This led to frightened fliers on board trying to stop the person, however, their efforts were in vain after the unlocked door sent air whipping throughout the cabin. Videos shared online show them gripping their armrests before the plane eventually landed safely.

Watch the harrowing incident below: 

Among the 194 passengers onboard were several teenage athletes who were on their way to a weekend sporting event in the South Korean city of Ulsan. According to Sky News, twelve people were taken to hospital for treatment as a result of the terrifying incident. Emergency officials said they suffered breathing problems and severe ear pain.

A court issued an arrest warrant for the suspect - identified by just his surname Lee - for an alleged violation of the aviation security law, citing the gravity of his case and the danger of flight. He was apprehended at Daegu International Airport.

Lee initially admitted to pulling the lever of the exit door, but would not reveal why he did it. A police officer told the Korean news outlet Yonhap News Agency: "It is difficult to have a normal conversation with him. We will investigate the motive of the crime and punish him."

However, it has now been disclosed by the same publication that the incident happened because the passenger was "uncomfortable" and "wanted to get off the plane quickly." He also told law enforcement that he was stressed after losing his job recently.

As reported by BBC, an officer added that the alleged suspect "is mentally struggling right now and losing his footing. We could not investigate him properly due to his state," explaining that he could not be asked any questions as he was not "in a normal state".

On Sunday (May 28), the airplane company began accepting customer complaints over the dangerous incident at its Flight Irregularity Claim Center at the Daegu airport. They plan to provide support measures, such as medical expenses, to the impacted fliers, per Yonhap.

One of the 194 passengers aboard the flight gave their account of the horrifying ordeal to the outlet: "It was chaos with people close to the door appearing to faint one by one and flight attendants calling out for doctors on board through broadcasting," adding, "I thought the plane was blowing up. I thought I was going to die like this."

The mother of one of the teenage athletes on board also shared: "Children quivered and cried in panic. Those sitting near the exit must have been shocked the most."

Lee is expected to be charged with violation of the Aviation Security Act and other offenses.

Featured image credit: Mengliu Di / Pexels