Photo of female flight attendant blocking plane door sparks controversy over outfit

Earlier, an Asiana Airlines spokesman said a male passenger sitting near the emergency exit opened the cover and pulled the lever, causing the door to open when the plane was at an altitude of nearly 200 meters above the ground, during a flight from Jeju Island to Daegu City (South Korea).

Nữ tiếp viên hàng không mạo hiểm tính mạng trong vụ mở cửa máy bay gần đây? - Ảnh 1. — An Asiana Airlines flight attendant is seen trying to block an emergency exit opened by a passenger on May 26, in a photo shared with *News1.*

The incident happened two or three minutes before the plane landed, and so all passengers were seated and wearing seat belts, the spokesman added.

Shocking footage from the incident shows the emergency exit doors flying open, as well as 194 passengers reacting with fear and panic, according to Koreaboo.com.

Passenger opens plane door in mid-air, 9 people hospitalized

Amid updates regarding the Daegu Police's investigation into the man and Asiana Airlines' response to what happened, a photo capturing the moment the incident occurred has gone viral online.

In the photo shared with News1 , a flight attendant is seen blocking the emergency exit that "Mr. A (33 years old) used his hand to pry open". "The flight attendant is said to be trying her best to prevent further damage that could occur while the plane is trying to land or taxi to a complete stop. The security post was set up, but the flight attendant still tried to block the emergency exit," News1 wrote.

The photo then sparked a whole new discussion online, as many Koreans noted how the flight attendant was risking her life while wearing a tight-fitting uniform that included a skirt and high heels. They began to express their outrage and demand changes to the uniform regulations for female flight attendants, according to Koreaboo.com .

One netizen commented: "In times of danger, pants are more convenient than skirts. Definitely. Pants allow for faster, stronger movements. We are not talking about 'pants or skirts are better', or 'pants or skirts are more convenient', but we are talking about the right type of clothing for those responsible for our own lives."

In 2013, Asiana Airlines allowed its flight attendants to wear more casual clothing. However, most female flight attendants did not apply for this type of uniform, fearing that wearing other clothes would lead to a more negative evaluation of their abilities and reduce their chances of promotion. In 2018, JTBC TV channel reported that female flight attendants did not want to choose to wear pants because of pressure from superiors to maintain the image of skirts and high heels.

No one was injured in the incident, but nine people were hospitalized with breathing difficulties, according to a Daegu fire official. The male passenger has been arrested by authorities.

Following the May 26 incident, Asiana Airlines announced that to prevent a recurrence, the airline would ban the sale of seats closest to the emergency exit unless all other seats were sold out, according to Koreaboo.com .

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