South Korea's acting president Choi Sang-mok has ordered the transport ministry to conduct an emergency security inspection of the country's airline operating system, local Yonhap news agency reported Monday.
Choi spoke at a disaster control meeting in Seoul after the Jeju Air flight crashed on Sunday at the country's Muan International Airport, killing 179 people with only two survivors, making it South Korea's deadliest aviation accident.
“The pilot declared May Day after issuing a bird strike warning,” said Joo Jong-wan, director of the aviation policy department at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
At the meeting, Choi promised to investigate the cause of the accident and share the findings with the victims' relatives and the public.
Choi promised that the government would spare no effort to support bereaved families and announced a seven-day mourning period in the country.
At a news conference on Sunday, Jeju Air management support office head Song Kyung-hoon said the airline would support the victims and their families and that the plane was insured for $1 billion. reported Yonhap.
Referring to reports that a bird strike was the cause of the crash, Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae neither confirmed nor denied.
“At this time, the exact cause of the accident has not yet been determined and we must wait for an official investigation by government agencies,” Kim said in a statement. Sunday statement.
Song rejected accusations that mechanical failures or inadequate safety preparations played a role in the crash.
“This disaster is not about any maintenance issues. When it comes to aircraft maintenance, there can be absolutely no compromise,” Song said.
Jeju Air flight on Monday apparently returned to Gimpo International Airport shortly after take-off as a similar problem was detected with the aircraft's landing gear.
The accident occurred at a politically difficult time for South Korea.
Choi is the second acting president in a month. He assumed this role after serving as President Han Duck – and soon he did questioned on Friday by lawmakers over their reluctance to appoint three judges to the Constitutional Court hearing the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Yoon was indicted just a few weeks agoafter martial law was imposed for the first time since the 1979 military coup for six hours at the beginning of the month.
Jeju Air shares hit an all-time low on Monday and were recently down 8.53%, according to FactSet data. Shares of other Korean airlines have been volatile.