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Firefighters and rescue workers work near the wreckage of a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 after the plane crashed and caught fire at Mueang International Airport in South Jeolla Province, about 288 kilometers southwest of Seoul, on December 29, 2024.
Jung Young Jae | Afp | Getty Images
Acting South Korean President Choi Sang-mok has ordered the Ministry of Transport to conduct an emergency safety inspection of the country’s airline operating system, local news agency Yonhap reported. informed Monday.
Choi speaks at a disaster relief meeting in Seoul after the Jeju Air flight crashed on Sunday at the country’s Mueang International Airport, killing 179 people and leaving only two survivors, making it South Korea’s deadliest plane crash.
“The pilot declared May Day after warning of a bird strike,” said Joo Jeong-wan, director of the Aviation Policy Division of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
Choi vowed that the government would “spare no effort” to support the families of the victims and declared seven days of national mourning.
At a press briefing on Sunday, Jeju Air’s head of management support, Song Kyung-hoon, said the airline would support the victims and their families and that the plane was insured for $1 billion. informed Yonhap.
Referring to reports that a the sound of birds was the cause of the crash, Jeju Air CEO Kim Yi Bae has neither confirmed nor denied it.
“Currently, the exact cause of the accident has not yet been established, and we have to wait for the official investigation by government authorities,” Kim Jong-un said. Sunday statement.
Song rejected allegations that mechanical failure or inadequate safety measures played a role in the crash.
“This disaster is not due to maintenance issues. There can be absolutely no compromises when it comes to aircraft maintenance,” Song said.
Jeju Air flight on Monday according to reports returned to Gimpho International Airport shortly after takeoff because a similar problem was detected with the plane’s landing gear.
The accident occurred at a politically tense time for South Korea.
Choi became the country’s second acting president in a month. He assumed the role after serving as President Han Dak-sung impeachment lawmakers on Friday over his reluctance to appoint three judges to the Constitutional Court hearing the impeachment case against former President Yoon Suk-yeol.
Yun was impeached just a few weeks agoafter imposing martial law for six hours at the start of the month for the first time since a 1979 military coup.
Shares of Jeju Air hit an all-time low on Monday and last fell 8.53%, according to FactSet data. Shares of other Korean airlines were volatile.
