A passenger arrested after a plane door was opened mid-flight on a domestic flight has said he was “uncomfortable” and “wanted to get off the plane quickly”, according to South Korean media.
The man also told police he was under stress after losing his job, Yonhap news agency reported, citing the country’s Daegu Dongbu police station.
Authorities have so far identified the man only by his surname, “Li.”
he allegedly Asiana Airlines door opened when the aircraft was 700 feet (213 m) above the ground.
Panic broke out on the plane with footage showing a passenger blasting air through the cabin and whipping some people’s faces and hair.
Nine passengers were taken to the hospital due to shortness of breath.
A fire department official said that all were discharged after about two hours.
Yonhap said police have sought an arrest warrant for the man detained, who is 30, on Saturday for violating the Aviation Security Law and other crimes.
There were 194 people on board the plane, which was en route from South Korea’s southern island of Jeju to the southeastern city of Daegu.
The flight normally takes about an hour and the incident occurred as the aircraft was approaching Daegu Airport at an altitude of 700 feet (213 m).
It is not known how long the door remained open.
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Yonhap cited their coach as saying that the passengers included teenage athletes on their way to a track and field competition and some screamed and cried in panic.
It quoted other passengers as saying that they experienced severe ear pain after the door was opened.
The news agency said some cabin crew shouted for help from passengers to prevent them from opening the door.
A South Korean transport ministry official said on Friday that it is possible to open emergency exits on or near the ground
level because the pressure inside and outside the cabin is the same.
