DEFECTS FOUND IN BOEING 737 NG PLANES

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Cracks have been found on more Boeing 737 NGs operating in Korea, bringing the number of suspended planes to 13. The defects have been found more frequently in Korea than in other nations. The Korean government will disclose the cracks and repair procedures for the first time. It will also strengthen the management of aviation safety.

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Suspended planes sit at a hangar. They are Boeing 737 NG planes that were found to have cracks. Inspections have been completed on 100 out of 150 Boeing 737 NGs operated by Korean carriers. Among 79 planes that have conducted over 20,000 flights, 13 are found to have cracks. None of the planes that have flown less than 20,000 times are found to have cracks. But inspections on them will be wrapped up by November 25. All the problems were found on the pickle fork, which is a part that helps tie the wings to the aircraft's main body. Cracks, eight millimeters in width and seven millimeters in length, were discovered on the two-centimeter-thick metal component.

[Soundbite] IM DONG-SHIN(KOREAN AIR) : "The cracks are not serious. But we are managing them strictly for safety, because it is an important part."

Boeing dispatched an emergency repair team to Korea last month. To fix the problem, Boeing technicians replace defective parts entirely. Korea's transport ministry announced plans to complete repairs by early next year. However, it is also necessary to look into why cracks were found more frequently with planes operated by domestic carriers. Globally, 1,241 Boeing 737 NGs have been inspected and 58 of them were found with cracks. However in Korea, 13 out of 100 planes had cracks, posting a far higher defect rate.

[Soundbite] KIM KYUNG-WOOK(VICE TRANSPORT MINISTER) : "The defects are found more frequently in Korea. We plan to propose a joint investigation with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration if necessary."

The ministry said that no cracks were found on any other part than the one in question. It also plans to conduct regular inspections on the model whenever they complete over 3,500 flights. The financial loss incurred by the grounding of the plane is predicted to amount to two billion won per plane every month. This is another issue that needs to be addressed together with the U.S. plane maker.