South Korea to inspect airline operating system after Jeju Air crash

South Korea’s acting president Choi Sang-mok ordered the Ministry of Transportation to carry out 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, causing 179 deaths and only two survivors, making it the deadliest plane crash in South Korea.

“The pilot declared 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.

Choi vowed that the government would “spare no effort” to support grieving families and declared a seven-day mourning period for the country.

At a press conference on Sunday, Jeju Air administrative support office head Song Kyung-hoon said the airline would support the victims and their families, and that the plane was covered by 1 billion insurance. dollars. reported Yonhap.

Address reports that a bird crash was the cause of the accident, Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae neither confirmed nor denied it.

“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. sunday statement.

Song dismissed accusations that mechanical failures or inadequate safety preparations played a role in the accident.

“This accident has nothing to do with any maintenance issues. There can be no compromise when it comes to aircraft maintenance,” Song said.

On Monday, a Jeju Air flight reportedly It returned to Gimpo International Airport shortly after takeoff because a similar problem was detected with the plane’s landing gear.

The accident comes at a politically tense time for South Korea.

Choi is the second acting president in a month. He took office after acting president Han Duck-soon was contested on Friday by lawmakers over their reluctance to appoint three judges to the Constitutional Court investigating the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Yoon was accused just a few weeks agoafter imposing martial law for six hours earlier this month for the first time since the 1979 military coup.

Jeju Air shares hit a record low on Monday, according to FactSet data, and were last down 8.53%. Shares of other Korean airlines were volatile.