Yoonduk Kim, Minister of Land, Begins Tenure at Muan Airport: "Meeting Bereaved Families Is the First Step of Responsibility"

First Official Visit After Taking Office at Muan Airport
Meeting With Bereaved Families at Passenger Aircraft Disaster Site
Runway Inspection... "Swift Investigation and Support"
"Building a Safe and Reliable Aviation Safety System for the Public"

Yoonduk Kim, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, visited Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province on August 6 for his first official engagement since taking office. This visit was aimed at conveying the government's sincere commitment to communication by meeting with the bereaved families of the passenger aircraft disaster that occurred in December of last year, as well as inspecting the accident site.

Yoonduk Kim (right), Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, is meeting with the bereaved families of the Jeju Air disaster on December 29. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

On this day, Minister Kim personally offered his condolences to the bereaved families staying in the airport shelter, and held a separate meeting with the representatives of the families to listen to their opinions on the overall investigation into the incident and the victim support system. He stated, "Meeting with the bereaved families is the first step of my responsibility," and emphasized, "I will build trust through explanations and communication so that there are no suspicions during the investigation process, and I will promptly implement support measures in cooperation with relevant agencies."

This schedule also fulfilled Minister Kim’s promise during his confirmation hearing to make Muan Airport his first official visit after taking office. He personally inspected the area around the runway where the accident occurred and reviewed the status of the installation of bird detection radar to strengthen bird strike prevention. He stated, "Measures to prevent recurrence must take root at the site so that such a disaster never happens again," and instructed each agency to "thoroughly check the implementation of aviation safety innovation measures and actively identify additional tasks on-site."

Minister Kim said, "We will establish an airtight aviation safety system so that the public can use air travel with peace of mind," and added, "I will listen to and care for the voices of the bereaved families more frequently and more closely, so that their input is reflected in victim support policies."