[Exclusive]Ministry admits error

[Anchor]

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport claimed that there were no regulatory issues with the concrete embankment, which has been revealed to be dangerous due to the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster.

However, it has been confirmed that the ministry contacted airlines and instructed them to deploy experienced pilots to airports with concrete embankments.

Then, two weeks after the accident, the ministry finally admitted its mistake.

Reporter Lee Ji-eun has the exclusive coverage.

[Report]

Regarding the concrete localizer, the MOLIT had emphasized that it was outside the safety zone and in compliance with regulations, even two days and then ten days after the tragedy.

[Park Sang-woo/Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport/Jan. 7: "The legal system related to airport facilities is complex, and there are areas of confusion in interpretation. We will review the current laws and systems and improve any insufficient aspects."]

However, the day after this announcement, the ministry held a meeting with airlines and presented safety measures.

According to the official document sent by the ministry, it was first noted that there are six more airports with solid material localizers, including concrete, excluding the one involved in the accident.

It instructed that experienced pilots should be prioritized for deployment at these airports.

It also instructed that if pilots observe bird activity during flight, they should report it to the control tower immediately.

Just a day after stating there were no regulatory issues, the ministry informed pilots to be cautious.

Pilots who have to operate flights to and from the relevant airport are expressing their disbelief.

[Current Pilot/Voice Altered: "Just because A-class captains are going, does that mean the localizer turns into a sponge? If another accident happens, they will try to push it as 'We clearly informed you, so why did you approach this airport again?'"]

Minister Park Sang-woo appeared at the National Assembly earlier this week and changed his stance, stating it was "a very wrong thing" and that the concrete localizer would be improved immediately.

The ministry stated that it would complete facility improvements within this year, but did not disclose a specific timeline.

This is KBS News, Lee Ji-eun.