Moment passenger tries to open emergency exit door sparking panic on flight to South Korea (video)

A man on a flight to South Korea caused panic after he tried to open the emergency door of a plane mid-flight, with dramatic video showing flight attendants tackling him. 

The suspect, who has not been named, was said to have sat in a cabin crew seat without permission while on Korean Air flight KE658 from Bangkok, Thailand, to Incheon, South Korea, on November 7. 

When an air hostess ordered him to leave, he reportedly threatened her despite being warned that he may have been violating Korea’s Aviation Security Act. 

Footage shows flight attendants scrambling to stop the man as he grabbed the door latch and allegedly tried to open it. 

The crew were able to restrain the man, who reports say threatened them and had been acting aggressively, and he was taken to a separate area to calm down. 

The Airbus A330-300 with 238 passengers onboard landed without delays at the Incheon International Airport in Seoul at around 4.45 am. 

The man was handed over to the Incheon International Airport Police for investigation. 

Korean Air said in a statement: “The incident was managed according to our established security protocols, to prioritise passenger safety and operational integrity.  

“While the situation was successfully contained, we will cooperate with relevant authorities in the investigation of this matter. 

“Korean Air maintains a zero-tolerance approach to behaviours that compromise aviation safety and will continue to respond decisively to such incidents.” 

Watch the video below.