South Korean court issues warrant for man who opened plane door minutes before landing

On May 28 a South Korean court issued an arrest warrant for a passenger who opened an Asiana Airlines plane door minutes before it landed in the city of Daegu, Yonhap News Agency reported.

He was arrested after the plane landed on Friday. He opened the door when the A 321 - 200 plane was about 213 m above the ground, causing panic onboard.

The Daegu district court issued a warrant for him on charges of violations of the Aviation Security Act, saying there was a risk he may try to flee before trial. The warrant allows police to keep him in custody for a longer time.

He was not charged at the hearing.

The man's surname, Lee, was given but not his full name, as is usual custom in South Korea.

Lee said the door was open because he wanted to get off the plane quickly.

I feel really sorry for the kids, he said as he was escorted to the court yesterday for a hearing, apparently referring to students who were on board and taken to hospital with breathing issues.

They were all released yesterday after about two hours, the fire department official said.

Police in Daegu arrested the man for allegedly breaching airport security laws. He is awaiting sentencing and faces up to 10 years in prison.

Asiana Airlines, a passenger airline, has also stopped selling some emergency seats following the incident, the airline said Sunday.

The A 321 - 200 plane, which was carrying nearly 200 passengers, landed safely in Daegu International Airport, about 240 km southeast of Seoul, but several people were hospitalised. There were no serious injuries or damage.

Starting Sunday, the 31 A and 26 A emergency seats on its 14 A 321 - 200 jets would no longer be offered for sale, the airline said in a statement.