Muan: Acting President Choi Sang-mok visited a memorial altar on Monday to pay respects to the victims of the Jeju Air plane crash, which resulted in 179 fatalities. The crash, occurring in the county of Muan, marked the country’s deadliest aviation disaster in over two decades. Choi assured the nation of his administration’s commitment to enhancing air safety and supporting affected families.
According to Lao News Agency, the Jeju Air aircraft, carrying 181 people, crashed and exploded at Muan’s airport on Sunday morning, leaving only two survivors. Choi, who also serves as deputy prime minister for economic affairs and finance minister, took on the interim leadership role after the National Assembly suspended acting President Han Duck-soo’s duties. Han was impeached shortly after assuming responsibilities from President Yoon Suk Yeol, who faced impeachment for declaring martial law.
Before his visit to the memorial altar, Choi led a disaster control meeting in Seoul. In this meeting, he mandated the transport ministry to perform an urgent safety inspection of the nation’s airline operations. He pledged transparency in investigating the crash’s causes, ensuring that findings would be promptly shared with both the victims’ families and the public.
The government has announced a week-long national mourning period and plans to set up memorial altars at the crash site and various locations, including Seoul and Gwangju. Choi appealed to the public to visit these altars to express their condolences. He emphasized the government’s dedication to deploying resources for the support of bereaved families and the injured survivors, while also ensuring a transparent investigation into the accident’s causes.