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Transport minister offers to resign over Jeju Air crash

Published: 07 Jan. 2025, 18:19 Updated: 07 Jan. 2025, 18:25

SEO JI-EUN
[email protected]

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Park Sang-woo bows in apology after a briefing on the Jeju Air crash at the Government Complex in Sejong on Jan. 7. [NEWS1]

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Park Sang-woo offered to resign on Tuesday, taking responsibility for the recent Jeju Air plane crash that claimed the lives of 179 out of 181 passengers and crew.

“As the minister responsible for aviation safety, I feel a profound sense of accountability for this tragedy," Park said at a press conference at the government complex in Sejong.

Park said he is mulling over the timing and manner of his resignation, citing the early stages of the investigation and the current political climate as factors.

The minister also promised "swift improvements" to the concrete-surrounded localizer mound near the crash site at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla, which has been blamed for worsening the damage.

The ministry repeatedly defended the structure as compliant with regulations, while Park emphasized that the improvements would "prioritize safety over regulatory compliance," suggesting a replacement of the support materials with more frangible alternatives.

The Ministry also announced that it discovered feather fragments in the crashed plane’s engine, reiterating that the primary cause of the accident was a bird strike.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]