The closure period for Muan International Airport following the Jeju Air accident has been extended until the 7th.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 31st that the runway at Muan Airport, which had been temporarily closed until 5 a.m. on the 1st of the following month, will be extended until 5 a.m. on the 7th of the same month. Ju Jong-wan, the head of the aviation policy bureau, noted, "We previously mentioned that we would assess the situation on-site when determining the reopening date," and said, "We plan to decide when to reopen based on the situation on-site."
The investigation into the accident will be conducted starting today with the dispatch of 11 investigators from the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board and eight members of the joint investigation team from the United States.
The black box has undergone surface debris cleaning at the test analysis center and is currently being inspected. However, a connector linking the data storage unit and the power supply unit of the flight data recorder was found missing, and a technical review is underway on methods for data extraction.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the maintenance history of major systems, such as aircraft engines and landing gear, for six airlines operating the same model, the B737-800, by the 3rd of the following month. The breakdown by airline is Jeju Air 39 aircraft, Jin Air 19, T'way Air 27, Eastar 10, Korean Air 2, and Air Incheon 4.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, 11 refrigerated containers have been installed and are operational at the temporary storage facilities. In 17 cities and provinces, 88 joint memorial altars for the victims have been set up. Among the identified victims, four individuals, whose autopsies have been completed, have been placed in funeral homes in consultation with their families.