A court has ruled that Mr. A (32), who put passengers in danger by opening the aircraft door in mid-air before landing at Daegu Airport, must pay over 700 million KRW (525,000 USD) in damages to Asiana Airlines for aircraft damage.
On September 5, the Daegu District Court's Civil Division 12 (Presiding Judge Chae Seong-ho) ordered Mr. A to pay 727,028,729 KRW (545,000 U SD) to Asiana Airlines in a lawsuit filed by the airline for damages.
The incident occurred on May 26, 2023, at around 12:37 PM, when Mr. A was charged with violating aviation security laws and property damage for intentionally opening the emergency door of Asiana Airlines Flight 8124. The flight, traveling from Jeju to Daegu with 194 passengers on board, was preparing to land at an altitude of 700-800 feet (213-243 meters). Mr. A also faced charges of damaging the aircraft by causing the emergency slide to fall off.
At the time, nine passengers, including elementary school students, experienced breathing difficulties and were taken to the hospital immediately after landing. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport estimated the cost of repairs for the damaged emergency door and slide to be around 640 million KRW (480,000 USD).
The prosecution appealed the first trial's decision and filed an additional charge against Mr. A in March for traumatizing 15 passengers due to the sudden door opening.
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