Man who opened Asiana Airlines plane door mid-flight must pay S$683,400 to airline – Mothership.SG

The Asiana Airlines passenger who opened an emergency exit door mid-flight on May 26, 2023, causing panic on board the plane, has been ordered to pay the airline over 700 million won (S$683,400) in compensation.

The man, surnamed Lee, who was 32 years old at the time of the incident, caused the emergency slide to detach from the aircraft through his intervention.

The plane eventually landed at Daegu International Airport in Korea and at least 12 passengers had to be hospitalized with breathing difficulties.

Court hearing to determine the amount of compensation

The Daegu District Court on September 8 ordered the passenger to reimburse the airline 727 million won (S$683,400) for destruction and damage to property. Korea JoongAng Daily reported.

The hearing was about determining the amount of compensation the man should be awarded in an earlier case. Korea-Herald reported.

What happened

The A321-200 aircraft was flying on a domestic flight from Jeju to Daegu.

The plane had 194 passengers on board.

Just before landing, Lee opened the emergency exit door when the plane was about 213 meters above the ground, which is about 70 stories.

At the time of the incident, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport estimated the damage at 640 million won (S$626,000).

Arrested and brought to trial

Two days after the incident, a court issued an arrest warrant for Lee.

Lee was charged with violating the Aviation Security Act.

At Lee's first trial in October 2023, prosecutors initially demanded a six-year prison sentence.

The court finally sentenced him to three years in prison, suspended for five years, on the grounds of his mental deficiency.

The judge can speak of a suspended sentence if he can suspend or postpone the pronouncement of the sentence, which means that the convicted person is spared from the suspension of the sentence for several years after the prosecution.

The public prosecutor appealed against the verdict.

Lee was also charged with injuring 15 other passengers in March, arguing that the passengers were traumatized.

Top photos via Khaosod & Yonhap News Agency