Man tries to open Korean Air plane door mid-flight, handed over to Incheon Airport police upon landing

A man was handed to the South Korea police after he tried to open a Korean Air plane door mid-flight.

According to South Korean media Maeil Business Newspaper (MK), the airline said that the man had threatened cabin crew and tried to open the emergency exit door in flight KE658 bound for Incheon from Bangkok on Nov. 7.

A video shared on TikTok showed the man attempting to open the door before he was stopped by several people onboard.

Stopped by cabin crew and passenger

In the nine-second clip, the man, who was wearing a white T-shirt, could be seen standing next to the plane door as he held up his phone and pointed it towards a few cabin crew members.

He then grabbed the latch, prompting a female cabin crew to rush and stop him.

The man got into a tussle with her, before other cabin crew members and another male passenger stepped in to subdue him.

@vyvy.seoul #koreanair #대힌항공 ♬ 오리지널 사운드 - 🅱️🅱️ VyVy.Seoul 🇰🇷🇻🇳🇨🇦

Sat at crew-only seat without permission

Korean Air said on Nov. 8 that the flight had left Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand on Nov. 7 and reached Incheon International Airport at around 4:45am on the same day.

According to MK, the man sat in an emergency exit seat meant for cabin crew.

He was asked to return to his own seat, but refused to comply and went to the emergency exit door instead, and threatened the crew.

The cabin crew had reportedly warned him that it was a violation of Korea's Aviation Security Act to do so, before the tussle occurred and he was eventually subdued.

He was brought to a separate area away from other passengers to calm down, as instructed by the pilot.

The flight carried 238 passengers.

There was no delay despite the incident.

The man was handed over to the Incheon International Airport Police upon landing. Investigations are ongoing.

In June 2023, a 19-year-old man who was under the influence of drugs had tried to open a Jeju Airlines plane door.

He was also immediately stopped by the cabin crew, using a lasso rope.

In May 2023, a 33-year-old man successfully opened an Asiana Airlines emergency exit door before the plane landed at Daegu International Airport.

Nine passengers were sent to the hospital due to breathing difficulties.

Top photos via @vyvy.seoul/TikTok