Suspect in Asiana Emergency Exit Door Incident Was a 'Protected Person' Onboard the Aircraft

Attempted to Jump Out Emergency Exit Identified as Protected
After Landing, Caught Off Guard by Questions Like "Is It Illegal if Passenger Opens Door?"

A man in his 30s who was arrested on charges of opening the emergency exit door of an aircraft just before landing was considered a 'protected person' on board but was identified as a suspect after disembarking at the airport.

A man in his 30s opened the emergency exit door of an Asiana Airlines aircraft during landing
[Photo by Yonhap News]

According to the aviation industry on the 31st, no passengers witnessed the suspect, Lee Mo (33), manipulating the lever of the Asiana Airlines aircraft door to open it on the 26th.

According to eyewitnesses at the scene, Lee clung to the wall next to the door immediately after the aircraft landed, as if trying to jump out of the emergency exit, and passengers and crew who saw this thought he was scared and held onto him.

After landing, the cabin crew handed Lee over to an Asiana Airlines employee stationed at Daegu Airport, saying, "This passenger is mentally unstable and needs care."

Later, while staying in the airport's first-floor waiting room, Lee requested, "I feel suffocated and want to go outside," and was escorted by staff to a bench outside the terminal. Afterwards, Lee asked the staff questions such as "Is it illegal for a passenger to open the emergency exit door?" and "What happens if you press the door lever?" Suspicious of this, the staff reported him to the police.

The police first accompanied Lee voluntarily for questioning and then urgently arrested him on charges of opening the emergency exit door. An Asiana Airlines official stated, "Until the suspect was handed over to the police, there was no moment when he left the airport without restraint or was alone." They added, "If it had been recognized that the suspect opened the door on board, he would have been immediately subdued and handed over to the police upon disembarkation," explaining, "In a situation where it was unclear how the door was opened, it was not possible to detain him unconditionally."

Meanwhile, Asiana Airlines began accepting damage claims related to this incident from the 28th. The airline plans to assess the passengers' damages and provide support such as medical expenses.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.