Choi Sang-mok Acting Authority "7-Day National Mourning Period Until January 4"

Choi Sang-mok, Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister as well as Minister of Economy and Finance, announced on the 29th, "From today until 24:00 on January 4th, a 7-day national mourning period will be designated."

Acting President Choi made this announcement during the 3rd Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting held in Seoul on the same day. Following the declaration of the national mourning period, joint memorial altars will be set up at Muan Airport site and in 17 cities and provinces including Jeonnam, Gwangju, Seoul, and Sejong. Additionally, all ministries, local governments, and public institutions will fly flags at half-mast, and public officials will wear mourning ribbons.

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Acting President Choi stated, "The Central Accident Response Headquarters established at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident together with the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board to clarify responsibility and promptly and transparently disclose the findings to the bereaved families and the public." He added, "We will also make every effort to prepare government-wide measures to prevent recurrence so that such a tragic accident does not happen again."

He continued, "Jeonnam Muan County will be declared a special disaster area, and we will provide all necessary support including damage recovery, assistance to bereaved families, and treatment for the injured." He explained, "An integrated support center involving related ministries and agencies will be established and operated on-site to provide guidance on support such as funeral assistance and psychological support to the bereaved families, ensuring unified and centralized support at one location."

He emphasized, "Dedicated public officials will be assigned to each bereaved family to provide meticulous support without any inconvenience."

He also expressed, "I pray for the repose of those who lost their lives in this unfortunate accident and extend my deepest condolences and sympathy to the bereaved families." He apologized, saying, "As the acting head of the government responsible for the safety and lives of the people, I feel an indescribable sorrow and deep regret."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.