Air Seoul flight delayed over 6 hours after passenger opens emergency exit door

The incident occurred on the flight from Jeju to Gimpo International Airport with 202 passengers onboard while the aircraft was taxiing on the runway in preparation for takeoff, Korea JoongAng Daily reported.

As a result, the emergency evacuation slide was deployed, forcing the plane to be towed back to the parking area for inspection.

No injuries were reported.

The woman who opened the emergency exit was immediately arrested at the scene.

She told police that she suffered from claustrophobia and felt suffocated, leading her to open the door, Allkpop reported.

Authorities confirmed that the passenger had received medical treatment for this condition in the past.

The case has been handed over to the police on suspicion of violating the Aviation Security Act.

The flight eventually departed at 2 p.m. the same day, more than six hours after the original departure time.