The South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced plans Monday for safety reforms across the country’s aviation sector this year.
According to a report by South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, the ministry’s plans will focus on preventing accidents and enhancing safety standards. The report stated that structures, like the two-meter-high concrete mound at Muan International Airport, will be removed or rebuilt as part of the plan.
The concrete structure at Muan – which is also present at three other airports in South Korea – was cited as a possible cause for the deadly Jeju Air crash that killed 179 of the 181 people on board in late December.
The ministry said that 18 air traffic control facilities will also be inspected for possible risks, including staffing shortages, by the end of this month, according to the report. The ministry will announce an aviation safety innovation plan by April.
The announcement comes days after it was reported that the flight recorders aboard Jeju Air’s Boeing 737-800 aircraft stopped working just before the crash.
AP News reported on Saturday that the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board analyzed the devices and concluded both the flight data and cockpit voice recorders stopped working about four minutes before the crash.
