South Korean authorities have detained a passenger after he opened a door of an Asiana Airlines plane shortly before the aircraft landed, the country's transportation ministry said on Friday.

The ministry said police had taken the passenger into custody and were investigating a possible violation of aviation safety laws.

South Korean police have launched an investigation after Asiana Airlines said a passenger opened a door on a flight shortly before the aircraft landed safely in the city of Daegu on Friday.

The Airbus A321 plane landed at Daegu airport at around 12:40 p.m. (0340 GMT) after departing from the island of Jeju an hour earlier, the airport's flight schedule showed.

No one was hurt in the incident, but nine people were transferred to a nearby hospital after suffering breathing issues, a Daegu fire department official said.

Eight of those taken to hospital were schoolchildren from Jeju, according to Jeju's education office.