A man in his 30s opened an emergency exit, boarded a plane after breaking up with his girlfriend... uncooperative in investigation

Recent Breakup with Girlfriend and Unemployed Life in Jeju
Seat's Emergency Exit Lever Reachable Without Unfastening Seatbelt
Asiana: "Keep It Empty Unless Fully Booked"

On the 26th, Mr. A, a man in his 30s who was arrested on the spot for opening the door just before landing on an Asiana Airlines passenger plane traveling from Jeju to Daegu (violation of the Aviation Security Act), has completed his first investigation.

At around 12:40 PM that day, Mr. A forcibly opened part of the emergency exit door by pulling the handle of the emergency exit door on the Asiana Airlines aircraft as it began landing at Daegu Airport.

According to the aviation industry on the 26th, at 11:49 a.m. that day, Asiana Airlines flight OZ8124 departing from Jeju Airport had its door suddenly open just before landing at Daegu Airport around 12:40 p.m.

A police official stated, "On the morning of the 27th, we will summon the victim and related parties for additional investigation," and added, "The decision on whether to apply for an arrest warrant for Mr. A will be made around the afternoon of the 27th."

According to Article 23 of the Aviation Security Act, passengers must not operate doors, escape exits, or equipment inside the aircraft, and violators may face imprisonment of up to 10 years.

It has been reported that Mr. A was uncooperative during the investigation, consistently remaining silent at the police station.

According to Mr. A’s family, he has recently experienced severe anxiety symptoms affecting his daily life. News1 quoted Mr. A’s mother, stating that Mr. A, who had been in Daegu continuously, moved to Jeju about a year ago to live with his girlfriend, Ms. B, and recently received a breakup notice from her. It is known that Mr. A was unemployed while living in Jeju.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, at around 12:37 PM that day, an incident occurred where the door opened at an altitude of 700 feet (approximately 213 meters) while Asiana Airlines flight 8124 from Jeju to Daegu was landing.

At the time, the aircraft was carrying 194 people, including elementary and middle school track and judo athletes from the Jeju area and their accompanying teachers who were participating in the National Youth Sports Festival held in Ulsan on the 27th, general passengers, and 6 crew members. Fortunately, no passengers fell out, but the passenger plane landed on the Daegu Airport runway with the door open.

Following the incident, Asiana Airlines issued an emergency notice stating that for the Airbus A321 model involved in the door opening incident, seat 26A, the "problematic seat," will not be sold and will be left vacant unless the flight is fully booked. This decision was made because the seat allows access to the emergency exit lever without unfastening the seatbelt, making it difficult for crew members to control in an emergency.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport dispatched aviation safety inspectors to the site and began safety inspections.