Biden sends condolences to victims of Jeju Air crash

SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - U.S. President Joe Biden and firs lady Jill Biden sent a message of condolence over the tragic crash of a Jeju Air plane in South Korea on Sunday, which killed 179 people. "Jill and I are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life that occurred..... in Muan," Biden said in a statement. "As close allies, the American people share deep bonds of friendship with the South Korean people and our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted b

December 30, 2024

Bird strike warning issued minutes before fatal plane crash

SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - The control tower at Muan International Airport warned of possible bird strikes just minutes before a plane crash Sunday that left most of the 181 people aboard feared dead, transportation officials said. The ill-fated Jeju Air plane received the bird strike warning at 8:57 a.m., and the pilot declared a "mayday" emergency one minute later, according to Joo Jong-wan, director general of aviation policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and

December 29, 2024

Airline says crashed plane showed no mechanical issues before flight

SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - The Jeju Air aircraft that crashed at a South Korean airport on Sunday, killing dozens, showed no signs of mechanical problems before the fatal flight, the company's chief executive said. The Boeing 737-800 jet crashed at Muan International Airport at 9:07 a.m. while attempting an emergency belly landing due to an apparent landing gear failure. Most of the 181 people aboard were feared dead after it skidded off a runway and slammed into a wall, burstin

December 29, 2024

​​​​​​​Jeju Air crash ranks among South Korea's deadliest aviation disasters

SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - The crash of a Jeju Air aircraft on Sunday marks one of South Korea's worst aviation accidents on record. With most of the 181 people aboard feared dead, except for two rescued survivors, the incident involving the Boeing 737-800 jet at Muan International Airport could become the third-deadliest tragedy in South Korean aviation history, following the 1983 incident where a Korean Air Boeing 747 was shot down by Soviet fighters over the East Sea, killing

December 29, 2024

Eyewitness: Bird strike preceded fatal Korean plane crash

SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - A witness reported seeing a passenger aircraft collide with a flock of birds moments before it crashed at an airport in South Korea's southwestern region on Sunday morning. At least 47 people were killed when Jeju Air flight 7C2216, carrying 181 people, crashed while attempting an emergency belly landing due to a landing gear failure at Muan International Airport. The plane was arriving from Bangkok. A 50-year-old man, who was fishing near the airpo

December 29, 2024

Crashed airplane had engine problems days before accident: report 

SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - A passenger who flew on the same Jeju Air aircraft that crashed Sunday reported multiple engine failures during a flight just two days before the fatal accident. The passenger, who flew on flight 7C2216 from Muan to Bangkok on Dec. 27, said that the aircraft experienced several engine shutdowns before departure, Yonhap News reported. "When I raised concerns about the engine shutdowns with the cabin crew, they dismissed it as a non-issue," the

December 29, 2024

Aircraft crashes after landing gear fails, officials say

SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - The passenger aircraft that crashed at Muan International Airport on Sunday morning was attempting an emergency belly landing due to landing gear failure, airport officials said. The Jeju Air flight 7C2216 from Bangkok, which departed at 1:30 a.m., was originally scheduled to land at 8:30 a.m. The Boeing 737-800 attempted an initial landing but had to abort and perform a go-around maneuver before the fatal crash occurred at 9:07 a.m., according to airp

December 29, 2024

179 people killed in South Korean plane crash

SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) – A passenger aircraft crashed while landing at a South Korean airport on Sunday, leaving 179 people dead and two others injured in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters. The Jeju Air flight 7C2216 from Bangkok, carrying 181 people, made an emergency belly landing at Muan International Airport in the southwestern region at 9:03 a.m. after a suspected bird strike damaged its landing gear, officials said. The aircraft skidded off the r

December 29, 2024

Parliament votes to impeach Acting President Han

SEOUL, December 27 (AJP) - The National Assembly on Friday passed a motion to impeach Acting President Han Duck-soo over his refusal to appoint justices to fill vacancies at Korea's Constitutional Court. Han's impeachment came just a day after he insisted on a parliamentary agreement granting him the authority to appoint three nominees to fill the vacancies at the court. With the motion passed by 192 lawmakers voting in favor at the National Assembly, where the main oppos

December 27, 2024

Next hearing in Yoon's impeachment trial set for Jan. 3

SEOUL, December 27 (AJP) - The Constitutional Court of Korea said on Friday that it will swiftly proceed with President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial after his martial law debacle earlier this month. At the first hearing for the trial, where representatives from both the plaintiff and the defendant were in attendance, Justice Cheong Hyung-sik said, "Determining the president's impeachment is more urgent than any other case" and scheduled the next hearing for Ja

December 27, 2024