Firefighters and rescue personnel work near the wreckage of a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 series aircraft after the plane crashed and burst into flames at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, some 288 kilometres southwest of Seoul on Dec. 29, 2024.
Jung Yeon-je | Afp | Getty Images
South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok has ordered the transport ministry to carry out an emergency safety inspection of the country’s airline operation system, local news agency Yonhap reported Monday.
Choi was speaking at a disaster control meeting in Seoul, after a Jeju Air flight crashed at the country’s Muan International Airport on Sunday, leading to 179 fatalities with just two survivors, making it the deadliest air accident in South Korea.
“The pilot declared mayday after issuing the bird strike alert,” said Joo Jong-wan, director of aviation policy division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
Choi pledged that the government would “spare no effort” in supporting the bereaved families, and declared a seven-day mourning period for the country.
At a press briefing on Sunday, Jeju Air’s head of the management support office Song Kyung-hoon said the airline would support the victims and their families, and that the aircraft was covered by a $1 billion insurance, reported Yonhap.
Addressing reports that a bird strike was the cause of the crash, Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae neither confirmed nor denied it.
“Currently, the exact cause of the accident has yet to be determined, and we must wait for the official investigation by government agencies,” Kim said in a Sunday statement.
Song dismissed accusations that mechanical faults or inadequate safety preparations played a role in the crash.
“This crash is not about any maintenance issues. There can be absolutely no compromise when it comes to maintaining aircraft,” Song said.
On Monday, a Jeju Air flight reportedly returned to Gimpo International Airport shortly after taking off because a similar issue with the plane’s landing gear was detected.
The accident comes at a politically fraught time for South Korea.
Choi is the country’s second acting president in a month. He assumed the role after acting President Han Duck-soon was impeached on Friday by lawmakers over his reluctance to appoint three justices to the Constitutional Court looking into the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Yoon was impeached a mere just weeks back, after imposing martial law for six hours at the start of the month for the first time since the military coup of 1979.
Shares of Jeju Air hit an all-time low Monday, according to FactSet data, and were last down 8.53%. Other Korean airlines’ stocks were volatile.
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