South Korea: Govt vows continued support for families of plane crash victims

Seoul (Tghe Uttam Hindu): The South Korean government will continue to offer full support to the families of the 179 victims of the deadly Jeju Air crash, acting President Choi Sang-mok said Tuesday, as funeral proceedings were expected to conclude in the near future. The bodies of all victims have been handed over to their families as of Monday, according to Choi.

The Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 flight, carrying 181 passengers and crew, crashed at Muan International Airport on December 29, leaving only two survivors, Yonhap news agency reported. "Even after the funeral procedures are completed, the government will carefully ensure that no difficulty faced by the bereaved families goes unnoticed, and we will provide meticulous support until all issues are resolved," Choi said during a disaster control meeting.

He also emphasised that the government, in cooperation with local agencies, will maintain communication channels with the families to continuously identify and address their needs. For instance, psychological support teams have been established to help the emotional recovery of the bereaved families and those involved in the accident response, he noted. Emergency living expenses for the victims' families will start being distributed on Friday, Choi added.

The Financial Services Commission will support bereaved families by extending their loan maturities, he said. Additionally, if they require new financing, special guarantees will be provided through the state-run Korea Credit Guarantee Fund. Earlier South Korea's Transport Ministry said that authorities have moved two engines from the Jeju Air jet involved in a deadly crash last weekend to a hangar for a full-scale investigation.

The Jeju Aeroplane, with 181 people onboard returning from Bangkok, crashed while landing at Muan International Airport in the southwestern county of Muan on December 29, killing all but two, aboard. One of the engines was transported to the hangar Friday, while the other was moved the previous day, the Transport Ministry said.