Passenger arrested for opening emergency exit during flight

A man was arrested for allegedly opening an emergency exit door during a South Korean flight, and he faces up to 10 years in prison, officials said. 

The suspect, described as a 33-year-old man with the surname Lee, told investigators in preliminary questioning that he felt suffocated and tried to quickly escape the plane, police said, according to The Associated Press. The man also reportedly said he felt stressed since he lost his job recently.

Twelve people suffered slight injuries after he opened the emergency exit of the Asiana Airlines Airbus on Friday. 

Normally, emergency exit doors are unable to be opened mid-flight due to the air pressure inside and outside of the aircraft, but the man was likely able to open the door Friday because the plane was at a low altitude and preparing to land. 

Video from the flight shows air blowing through the jet cabin as 200 people were on board.

If convicted, Lee faces up to 10 years in prison for violating an aviation safety law. 

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.