A 19-year-old teenager was arrested by South Korean police on Tuesday, June 20, after trying to open the door of the plane mid-flight due to what he called pressure on his chest.
According to South Korean authorities, the teenager was on a Jeju Air flight from Cebu, Philippines going to Incheon, South Korea.
The airline said that the teenager started to "act strange" an hour into the flight and complained of feeling pressure on his chest, prompting the cabin crew to move him to a front row seat near the exit door.
The teenager then rushed to one of the plane's emergency doors and tried to open it. Fortunately, the door did not open and passengers and cabin crew were able to subdue him.
A South Korean news agency said that the teenager tried to attack the cabin crew with a pen. None of the 180 passengers of the flight was hurt.
Upon arriving in South Korea, the Incheon International Police Corps arrested the teenager who asked them about the number of life vests onboard and “if all of the flight crew would have been fired if he opened the emergency door.”
The teenager later tested positive for illegal drugs, according to the police.
In May, a man in his 30s opened the door of an Asiana Airlines plane before landing in Daegu, South Korea. Nine passengers were brought to the hospital due to breathing issues after the incident.
The suspect is now facing 10 years in prison for violating aviation safety laws.