Jeju Air CEO undergoes police questioning over deadly plane crash

Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae, center, attends a parliamentary session regarding a deadly crash involving the airline's jet at the National Assembly in southwestern Seoul, Jan. 14. Yonhap

The chief of Jeju Air has undergone police questioning over the deadly December crash of the company's passenger jet that claimed 179 lives, officials said Monday.

The Jeonnam Provincial Police recently questioned CEO Kim E-bae as a witness over the crash at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, on Dec. 29. Of the total 181 people on board, only two survived.

Police are said to have focused their questioning on the operations and safety management of the aircraft of the crash, with Kim reportedly saying there had been no issues regarding the safety, maintenance or operation of the jet.

Police have called in various officials from the budget carrier, the airport, the transport ministry and relevant agencies to investigate the exact cause of the accident.

They are currently focusing their investigation on the airport's localizer that the aircraft crashed into.

The Boeing 737-800 jet arriving from Bangkok erupted into flames after crashing into the structure that assists aircraft navigation as it overshot the runway when it made an emergency belly landing at the airport. (Yonhap)