South Korean transport minister plans to resign over country's worst air crash

By Hyunjoo Jin

SEJONG, South Korea (Reuters) - South Korea's transport minister said on Tuesday he intends to step down to take responsibility for the deadly crash of a Boeing (NYSE:BA ) jet operated by Jeju Air on Dec. 29.

Jeju Air 7C2216, which departed the Thai capital of Bangkok for Muan in southwestern South Korea, belly-landed and overshot the regional airport's runway, exploding into flames after hitting an embankment.

"I feel heavy responsibility for this disaster," Park Sang-woo told a press briefing.

He said he will try to find the right timing to resign after addressing the current situation.

The transport ministry also said it will swiftly improve the safety of airport landing systems that experts said contributed to the catastrophic accident that killed 179 people on board.

Air safety experts have said the embankment, designed to prop up the "localizer" antenna used to guide landings in poor visibility, was too rigid and too close to the end of the runway.



Joo Jong-wan, the deputy transport minister for civil aviation, acknowledged that safety measures were not sufficient when building the embankment, but said they were done in line with regulations in Korea and overseas.

The police are investigating how the embankment was constructed, he added. The police last week raided Jeju Air and the operator of Muan International Airport as part of their investigation into the crash.

Source: Investing.com