The Ministry of Transport has confirmed that the chief pilot of the ill-fated flight had been in the position since 2019 and possessed approximately 6,800 hours of flight experience. South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, has declared a national mourning period of seven days and has initiated an investigation into the nation’s entire aviation system. Deputy Transport Minister Joo Jong-wan disclosed that the ministry will conduct thorough inspections on all Boeing 737-800 aircraft in South Korea, totaling 101 planes operated by six airlines. Authorities will scrutinize maintenance records of critical components such as engines and landing gear on each aircraft.
Choi mentioned during a disaster control meeting in Seoul on Monday that updates on the investigation into the tragic accident will be transparently shared with the families of the victims even before the final results are released. The previous day, Choi, who also serves as the finance minister, visited the crash site and proclaimed it a special disaster area while offering his sincere condolences to the bereaved families.
The distressing event occurred just two days after Choi assumed responsibilities as the acting president following the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo by the parliament. Han had taken up the role of acting president after President Yoon Sul Yeol was impeached and removed from power subsequent to a brief imposition of martial law earlier in the month. Choi has taken charge of the centralized disaster control team, a duty typically fulfilled by the prime minister.
Over 700 personnel from various agencies, including the police, military, and coast guard, have been deployed for on-site response efforts, as reported by the transport ministry. Mourners have started honoring the crash victims by laying flowers and candles at a public memorial altar established in Muan.
The tragic incident claimed the lives of 169 individuals, including 84 males, 85 females, and 10 whose gender remains unidentified, according to the South Jeolla Fire Service. Among the survivors, both crew members – a man and a woman – were rescued by the response team. The transport ministry confirmed that two Thai nationals were among the passengers, while the rest were South Korean nationals.
Relatives of the victims shared their heart-wrenching experiences, with one father expressing disbelief at the sudden loss of his daughter. Another grieving father recounted his daughter’s journey back home, indicating that she likely did not contact him before the crash as she was nearing her destination.
