South Korea police raid Muan airport, Jeju Air office over Boeing plane crash that killed 179

South Korean police said they raided Muan airport and the Jeju Air office Thursday morning over the crash involving one of the carrier’s Boeing 737-800s that killed 179 people.

Jeju Air flight 2216 was carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea on Sunday when it issued a mayday call and belly-landed before hitting a barrier and bursting into flames, killing everyone aboard except two flight attendants pulled from the burning wreckage.

South Korean and US investigators, including from Boeing, have been combing the crash site in southwestern Muan since the disaster to establish a cause, with both black boxes found and decoding work ongoing.

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“In relation to the plane accident that occurred on December 29, a search and seizure operation is being conducted from 9 am (0000 GMT) on January 2 at three locations,” including Muan airport, the Jeju Air office in Seoul, plus a regional aviation office, police said in a statement sent to AFP.

“The police plan to swiftly and rigorously determine the cause and responsibility for this accident in accordance with the law and principles.”

After the crash, South Korea announced that all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by the country’s carriers would be subject to special inspections, focusing on the landing gear, which appears to have malfunctioned during the Sunday crash.

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South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, said Thursday that “immediate action” must be taken if that probe uncovered any issues with the aircraft model.

Authorities have previously said that 101 aircraft of the same model were in operation by six different airlines.

“As there’s great public concern about the same aircraft model involved in the accident, the transport ministry and relevant agencies must conduct a thorough inspection of operation maintenance, education, and training,” Choi said Thursday.

“If any issues are found during the inspection, please take immediate corrective action,” he added.

The accident is the worst-ever aviation disaster on South Korean soil.

South Korean authorities have completed the initial extraction of data for the cockpit voice recorder, but the flight data recorder was damaged and was to be sent to the United States for analysis, officials said Wednesday.

‘I miss you’

Officials initially pointed to a bird strike as a possible cause of the disaster, but have since said the probe was also examining a concrete barrier at the end of the runway, which dramatic video showed the plane colliding with before bursting into flames.

At Muan airport, post-it notes, food and flowers were laid by relatives of the victims and citizens near the crashing site.

“Honey, I miss you way too much,” one of them said.

“My dear sister, you are the most thoughtful person I know. I will not be okay. I’ll always remember you. I’m sorry. I love you,” said another.

Local media reported on a handwritten note, seemingly written by the pilot’s brother, that was placed alongside gimbap – a popular Korean dish made from cooked rice, vegetables, and meat rolled in dried sheets of seaweed – and a drink cup near the crash site.

“I feel heartbroken when I think about the struggles you faced alone (in your last moments),” it read.

“You were truly amazing and did so well, so I hope you can now find happiness in a warm place. Thank you, and I’m sorry.”

Relatives of the victims were allowed to visit the site on Wednesday for the first time since the crash, and they laid out tteokguk —- rice cake soup traditionally enjoyed in South Korea on New Year’s Day —- as they said their goodbyes, many in tears.

Hundreds of people also queued up to pay their respects at a memorial altar set up to honour the victims.

So many people came to the memorial that the queue stretched for hundreds of metres and the local cell phone network was overloaded, local media reported.

Other altars for the victims have been set up nationwide.