SEJONG, July 15 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government on Monday urged the country's flag carriers to undertake a special inspection of their equipment, maintenance and operation systems to ensure the safety of their flights in the wake of the deadly Asiana Airlines crash.
In a special meeting with officials from the country's eight flag carriers, Yeo Hyung-koo, the vice minister of land, infrastructure and transport, pushed for airlines to step up their safety measures and provide additional training to pilots and crew.
"I ask all the airlines to reinforce their safety measures through an intensive inspection of all areas, from flight operation, maintenance and their operation manuals to facilities," the vice minister said, according to the ministry.
The meeting followed the crash landing of Asiana flight 214 at San Francisco International Airport on July 6 (U.S. time), which killed two Chinese passengers while injuring some 180 others. Another passenger, also Chinese, died last week while undergoing treatment for her injuries from the accident in a San Francisco hospital.
In a message delivered by Yeo, Transportation Minister Suh Seoung-hwan also called on the airlines to give special training to their pilots and other crew members of flights to and from airports known to be difficult to land, due to known obstacles or frequent system failures, the ministry said in a press release.
The Asiana flight from Seoul's Incheon International Airport struck a seawall at the end of the runway at San Francisco International Airport.
The exact cause of the accident, however, has yet to be identified, with the government here saying it could take over a year to pinpoint the reason for the crash.
The accident at the San Francisco airport marked the third accident with casualties by Asiana Airlines Co., the country's second-largest flag carrier, since the airline was founded in 1988.
