A passenger opened an emergency exit on an Asiana Airlines flight as it was preparing to land Friday, the carrier told AFP, adding that the plane landed safely but several people were hospitalized.

The plane was carrying nearly 200 passengers as it approached the runway at Daegu International Airport in South Korea, about 240 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on a domestic flight.

When the plane was around 200 meters above the ground, a passenger sitting near the emergency exit "opened the door manually by touching the lever", the carrier's representative told AFP.

The incident caused some passengers to have breathing difficulties, and several people were taken to a hospital after the landing, Asiana said, adding that there were no major injuries or damage.

Daegu police told AFP that they had taken in a man in his 30s for questioning over the incident.

South Korea's transport ministry said 12 people had been taken to hospital after the plane landed to deal with "discomfort and breathing issues".

The ministry confirmed that the plane door had been deliberately opened by a passenger while the plane was still in flight.

"Police are questioning him jointly with the land and transport ministry over aviation safety laws violations," they said in a statement.

"Under these laws, a person who opens a plane door without authorization is subject to a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison."