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Firefighters and rescue personnel work near the wreckage of a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 after the plane crashed and caught fire at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, at about 288 kilometers southwest of Seoul on December 29, 2024.
Jung Yeon-je | Afp | Getty Images
South Korea’s acting president Choi Sang-mok has ordered the transport ministry to conduct an emergency safety inspection of the country’s airline operating system, local news agency Yonhap reported. 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, killing 179 with only two survivors, making it South Korea’s deadliest plane crash.
“The pilot reported on May after issuing the bird strike alert,” said Joo Jong-wan, director of the aviation policy division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Transportation.
Choi promised that the government would “spare no effort” to support the bereaved families, and declared a seven-day mourning period for the country.
At a press conference on Sunday, the head of Jeju Air’s 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 Maybe
The report address that a bird shot was the cause of the crash, Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae neither confirmed nor denied.
“Currently, the exact cause of the accident has not yet been determined, and we must wait for the official investigation by government agencies,” Kim said in a Statement on Sunday.
Song rejected accusations that mechanical defects 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 the aircraft,” said Song.
Monday, a Jeju Air flight reported It returned to Gimpo International Airport shortly after departure because a similar problem with the plane’s landing gear was detected.
The accident comes at a political moment for South Korea.
Choi is the country’s second president in a month. He assumed the role after the actor president Han Duck-soon was accused Friday by lawmakers for their reluctance to appoint three judges to the Constitutional Court who are seeking the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Yoon was charged just weeks agoafter imposing martial law for six hours earlier this month for the first time since a 1979 military coup.
Shares of Jeju Air hit a Monday low, according to FactSet data, and were last down 8.53%. Shares of other Korean airlines were volatile.
