A man has been arrested after the emergency door of an Asiana Airlines plane, as the plane was preparing to land in South Korea.

The carrier told reporters that the flight landed safely, but some passengers fainted and others were hospitalised with breathing problems.

Asiana’s statement revealed that when the plane was around 200 meters (650 feet) above the ground, a passenger sitting near the emergency exit opened the door manually by touching the lever.

"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.

The plane was reported to be carrying nearly 200 passengers as it approached the runway at Daegu International Airport in South Korea, about 240 kilometres (149 miles) southeast of Seoul, on a domestic flight.

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

"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 authorisation is subject to a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison."