Choi Sang-mok Acting Authority "Special Safety Inspection of 101 Aircraft of the Same Model as the Accident Aircraft"

Yonhap News

Choi Sang-mok, Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister as well as Minister of Strategy and Finance, announced on the 31st regarding the Muan Jeju Air passenger plane disaster, "A special safety inspection is being conducted on six airlines that operate the same aircraft model as the accident plane."

At the '5th Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters Meeting' held at the Government Seoul Office that morning, Acting President Choi said, "We will do our best to support the bereaved families and investigate the cause of the accident," urging related agencies to provide timely support.

Acting President Choi instructed the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to "thoroughly re-examine the entire aircraft operation system starting with this inspection and immediately improve any necessary parts."

The airlines that operate the same Boeing B737-800 model as the Jeju Air accident aircraft include Jin Air, T'way Air, Eastar Jet, Air Incheon, and other major low-cost carriers (LCCs) as well as Korean Air, totaling six airlines with 101 aircraft subject to inspection. Earlier, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport sent an official letter to all domestic airlines ordering strengthened safety management and announced that aviation safety supervisors would be dispatched to these six airlines.

Regarding support for the bereaved families of the disaster victims, Acting President Choi said, "It is beyond imagination to comprehend the pain and sorrow of the families during the process of confirming the identities of the deceased and carrying out funeral procedures," and added, "Public officials should provide maximum support as if it were their own family to ensure that funeral procedures align with the wishes of the bereaved families."

He explained that professional counseling personnel have been deployed on-site to support the psychological stability of the bereaved families and urged, "The Ministry of Health and Welfare and related agencies should do their best to provide timely support to those in need." He also emphasized, "The installation of refrigerated containers for storing bodies has been completed," and reiterated, "We will show the utmost respect to those who have tragically passed away."

Acting President Choi stated, "Field officials should proactively approach the bereaved families to strengthen communication, and ministers and local government heads should personally ensure that support and communication are properly carried out on-site."

Regarding the ship capsizing accident that occurred the previous day in the waters off Seosan, Chungnam Province, Acting President Choi said, "Two people were rescued through overnight searches by related agencies, one person was found but declared dead, and four people remain missing," and instructed, "The Coast Guard and related agencies must make every effort in the search for the missing."