Authorities investigate the wreckage of a crashed Jeju Air plane at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, Dec. 30, 2024. Yonhap
The transport ministry said Monday it will implement comprehensive safety reforms across the aviation sector and other transportation systems in 2025 with an emphasis on preventing accidents and enhancing safety standards.
As a first step, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to conduct a thorough inspection of all airports nationwide by Jan. 24 to develop an airport facility improvement plan.
Structures that pose risks to flight safety, such as concrete mounds housing localizer equipment, will be removed or rebuilt.
One such structure, a 2-meter-high concrete structure at Muan International Airport, has been cited as one of key causes for the deadly Jeju Air crash that killed all but two of the 181 people on board the Boeing 737-800 flight on Dec. 29.
Similar structures exist at three other airports in Korea, the ministry said earlier.
Additionally, 18 air traffic control facilities will undergo detailed inspections to identify potential risks, including staffing shortages, by the end of this month.
Airlines, including low-cost carriers, will also be assessed to ensure proper maintenance and compliance with safety protocols.
Based on the results of safety inspections, the ministry said it plans to announce an aviation safety innovation plan by April. Private experts will also be involved in the work.
The government's safety overhaul extends beyond aviation to include automobiles, railways and roads.
The ministry will launch several initiatives this year to mitigate risks related to electric vehicle (EV) fires, such as the Mercedes-Benz EV fire in Incheon in August that damaged nearly 1,000 vehicles, causing some 3.8 billion won ($2.57 million) in damage.
They will include a pilot program, known as the battery management system, that will diagnose batteries and automatically notify fire authorities in case of danger, set to be launched in April.
A new battery certification system and a history management program will also begin next month to ensure compliance with safety standards and improve traceability.
To prevent train derailments, the government will expand advanced safety systems capable of detecting risks, such as track warping due to summer heat.
New axle temperature monitoring systems will be installed on some KTX trains, along with additional thermal imaging cameras and track-based temperature detection devices.
To prevent accidents caused by extremely heavy rainfall, the ministry will strengthen rainfall design standards for road facilities.
Safety will also be reinforced at all stages of construction — design, building and supervision — to avoid incidents like building collapses. (Yonhap)
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