South Korea wants to rebuild aviation safety system after crash, fire incidents

4/2/2025 13:18

South Korea aims to rebuild its aviation safety system from scratch, the transport ministry said on Tuesday, launching a new committee to improve air travel in the country that suffered two major aviation incidents a month apart.



The ministry statement said, "In order to restore trust in our country's aviation safety system, the government will make a determined effort to rebuild the aviation safety system from the ground up," Deputy Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Baek Won-kuk will tell the committee.



He added, the government must address aviation safety as a top priority, he added.



In the deadliest air disaster ever on South Korean soil, a plane belonging to budget airline Jeju Air crashed at the country's Muan airport on Dec. 29, killing all but two of the 181 passengers and crew members on board.



Duck remains were found in both engines of the plane, a preliminary investigation report said, indicating bird strikes occurred before the crash. According to experts, air accidents are nearly always caused by a combination of factors.



Last week, an Air Busan plane was engulfed in flames at Busan's international airport as the low-cost carrier's jet prepared to depart, with all on board evacuated safely.