South Korea police raid Jeju Air, airport over fatal crash

MUAN, South Korea: South Korean police raided the offices of Jeju Air and the operator of Muan International Airport on Thursday as they step up a probe into the fatal crash of a Boeing 737-800 that killed 179 people.

The flight was carrying 181 passengers and crew from Thailand to South Korea on Sunday when it issued a mayday call and belly-landed before slamming into a barrier, killing all aboard except two flight attendants.

Authorities on Thursday carried out search and seizure operations at Muan airport where flight 2216 crashed, a regional aviation office in the southwestern city, and Jeju Air´s office in the capital Seoul, police said.

Jeju Air´s chief executive Kim E-bae has also been banned from leaving the country as the investigation continues, police said separately.

“The police plan to swiftly and rigorously determine the cause and responsibility for this accident in accordance with the law and principles,” police said in a statement sent to AFP.

At Muan airport on Thursday, soldiers, police and white-suited investigators were still combing the crash site, as orange-robed monks held prayer ceremonies nearby.

Inside the airport, the stairs were covered in colourful post-it notes left by mourners.

“Honey, I miss you way too much,” one of them said.

“Even if you faced lonely and painful moments in death, may you now soar like a butterfly,” another read.

Relatives also left flowers and food near the crash site including tteokguk -- rice cake soup traditionally enjoyed in South Korea on New Year´s Day -- as they said their goodbyes, many in tears.