S Korean bishops grieve over plane crash victims, call for action to 'improve safety'
The crash of a low-cost Jeju Air plane killed 179 of the 181 people on board. World leaders express their solidarity to the East Asian nation. An investigation into the causes of the tragedy is already underway. Meanwhile, investigators have issued an arrest warrant against President Yoon Suk Yeol for imposing martial law.
Seoul (AsiaNews) – South Korea’s Catholic bishops issued a statement signed by Bishop Mathias Ri Iong-hoon, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, following yesterday's air disaster involving a plane operated by Jeju Air, a low-cost airline.
“Advances in science and technology have enriched our lives, but they have also brought with them new forms of danger and threat,” reads the press release. “While it is not possible to completely prevent all of these hazards, it is the role of stakeholders and government authorities to eliminate them as best they can.”
How and why the incident occurred remains uncertain, coming at a time of deep political crisis in the country.
The aircraft, which took off from Bangkok (Thailand), was set to land around 9 am at Muan airport when, for reasons unknown, it was unable to stop on the runway, crashing into a fence wall. Only two people survived out of 181 onboard, 175 passengers and six crew members.
Whether excessive speed or a failed landing gear, many elements of uncertainty still surround the accident. An amateur video purports to show flames coming from an engine during the final stage of the descent, which suggests a possible bird strike.
The bishops' statement goes on to say that pending the “outcome of the investigation into the cause of the accident” and in the face of deep shock and pain, the authorities should not rush “to find out who is responsible.” Instead, “those responsible and the government authorities to do their best to improve the safety environment and conditions to prevent such a tragedy from happening again”.
Finally, the bishops address the relatives who will not be satisfied with "any words of comfort", with the hope that "the merciful God will embrace the souls of the victims and touch the pain and wounds of bereaved families".
South Korea’s Actin President Choi Sang-mok ordered a speedy inspection into the safety of Jeju Air’s operations, as well as quick identification of the victims and the causes of the disaster.
As a first step, the Ministry of Transport announced a special inspection of all 101 Boeing 737-800s used by South Korean airliners starting today, focusing on the maintenance of key components.
For experts, many questions remain unanswered, including why the Jeju Air aircraft, powered by two CFM 56-7B26 engines, was travelling so fast at landing and why the landing gear was not in the lowered position as per normal procedure.
The other question that needs an answer is why there was a wall at the end of the runway, which the plane impacted before it burst into flames.
Reacting to the news, several world leaders sent condolences to the government and people of South Korea, starting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden, while Pope Francis delivered a prayer for the victims yesterday at the Angelus.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also expressed solidarity and closeness with South Korea, as did the President of Taiwan Lai Ching-te, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and the Indian Minister of External Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on behalf of the Indian government.
While the international community expressed support for the East Asian country, at home, the tragedy comes at a time of ongoing political crisis with investigators going before the Seoul Western District Court at midnight yesterday to file a request for an arrest warrant against impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his decision to impose martial law, a first for a sitting South Korean president.
The charges against him include insurrection and abuse of power, following his failure three times to heed summonses to appear for questioning.
Yoon has denied the charges, saying his declaration of martial law was an "act of governance" to warn the opposition party against what he described as its abuse of legislative power.
Later in the day, Yoon's legal defence team submitted an opinion on the arrest warrant request to the court, claiming it should be dismissed because the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) is not authorised to investigate insurrection charges.
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