SEOUL: A man who opened an airplane door while the aircraft was still in flight was ordered to pay 727 million won (US$547,000) in damages to the airline operator on Thursday (Sept 5).
The man in his 30s was convicted in November 2023 for the premature opening of the emergency door while the Asiana Airlines plane was preparing to land at about 213m to 243m in the air.
The ruling was to determine compensation, following the criminal trial, and was handed down by Judge Chae Seong-ho of Daegu District Court’s 12th Civic Division.
The plane was carrying 197 passengers from Jeju Island to Daegu on May 26, 2023, including students attending the National Junior Sports Festival, which was to be held in Ulsan. Nine of them were elementary school students who suffered difficulty breathing and were taken to a hospital immediately upon landing.
The man was apprehended at the scene and later sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for five years, and ordered to probation and mental treatment.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport estimated the property damages at 640 million won, as the emergency door and the escape slide were left broken. - The Korea Herald/ANN
