- A video captured the moment an Asiana Airlines passenger opened the emergency exit door mid-flight.
- The man sitting next to the passenger told CNN that he thought he was going to die.
A man who sat next to an Asiana Airlines passenger accused of opening a plane door mid-flight last month said it reminded him of a disaster movie.
Lee Yoon-jun was among the 194 passengers on board the Airbus A321 flying from Jeju Island to Daegu International Airport on May 26, according to the Associated Press.
As the flight was descending — and only about 700 feet above the ground — an unnamed passenger sitting directly next to Lee was able to partially open the emergency exit door.
The shocking moment was captured on video and quickly went viral.
—Good Morning America (@GMA) May 30, 2023
Lee, who was on his phone watching YouTube videos at the time, told CNN in an interview published on Friday, that the intense wind from outside blew away his hat and headphones and made it difficult for him to breathe.
"I just felt the horror of death," he told CNN. "I thought, I'm going to die. This is it, this is the end for me."
"In disaster movies, everyone always seems to die when a door opens in the air. I wondered what I had done wrong in my life. It was just a fleeting moment, but I had so many thoughts," he added.
Lee also said that the man sitting next to him "seemed tense" and that both of them were "trembling with fear."
"When I looked down, I noticed his feet swaying in the wind," Lee added.
He did not know at this point that the passenger next to him would be the one who would later be held responsible for opening the door.
Officials later said the man, who was described as being in his 30s, was in a bad mental state and had wanted to get off the plane because he had felt suffocated, CNN reported.
After the wheels of the plane hit the ground, Lee's neighbor got up and tried to jump from the still-moving vehicle.
"While I was looking at the flight attendant, I heard the sound of someone next to me unlocking his seatbelt, I realized this person was leaning towards the emergency exit."
The cabin crew was able to subdue the man before he jumped out and he was later arrested on suspicion of violating aviation security laws.
Officials said the plane landed safely, but 12 people were taken to hospitals after suffering minor symptoms, including breathing problems, according to AP.
Lee told CNN that he feels like he's "been born again" after the incident.
"I'm just trying to have more fun and live more interestingly. I'm enjoying it," he added.