Psychological Counseling Provided to Firefighters and Police Officers Deployed On-Site
The government will continue to operate the integrated support center set up at Muan Airport for the families of victims returning after the funeral of the Jeju Air passenger plane accident victims. It also emphasized ensuring the fairness of the accident cause investigation in cooperation with experts.
Ko Gi-dong, Acting Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (2nd Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters), held the 13th meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on the 8th and stated, "We will support each family member without missing any difficulties so that they can return to their daily lives."
The government’s policy is to continue psychological and legal support at the airport even after the families have held the victims’ funerals. Support for compensation, tax reductions, and emergency care will continue. The shelter for families returning after the funeral has also been disinfected and reorganized. Additionally, since heavy snowfall was forecast on the day of the funeral due to bad weather, snow removal was carried out around the funeral hall and cremation facilities to ensure the funeral procedures proceeded smoothly and to prevent inconvenience to the families.
Psychological support and treatment will be strengthened. Acting Minister Ko said, "We will also provide psychological counseling to prevent post-traumatic stress disorder and promote psychological stability for the families, as well as firefighters, police officers, soldiers, public officials, volunteers, and airport staff who were deployed at the accident site."
An organization dedicated to family support and memorial projects will be newly established within this month, and a field office will be operated in Muan to maintain communication with the families.
The government also expressed its determination regarding the investigation of the accident’s cause. Acting Minister Ko said, "The government will conduct the investigation of this accident’s cause objectively and fairly in compliance with international standards and relevant laws," adding, "The investigation will be led mainly by domestic and international experts, and the process and results will be disclosed as transparently as possible." To ensure the fairness of the accident investigation committee, officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will be excluded.
Currently, the Korea-US joint investigation team is examining the engine and main wings at the site. The damaged flight data recorder (FDR) has arrived in the United States, where repair and data extraction analysis have begun in cooperation with the National Transportation Safety Board. Inspections of navigation safety facilities at airports nationwide were completed on the same day, and special safety inspections of six airlines operating the same aircraft model as the accident plane will be completed by the 10th.
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