South Korean Leader Orders Probe Into Deadly Jeju Air Crash

South Korea's acting leader has ordered an emergency safety inspection of the country's airline operations following the deadliest plane crash on its soil, which claimed 179 lives, Kelly Ng reported for BBC News.

The call for enhanced safety measures comes as another Jeju Air flight had to return to Seoul shortly after takeoff on Monday due to an unidentified landing gear issue. I Photo: Yonhap News Agency

The Jeju Air plane burst into flames as it crash-landed at Muan International Airport, leaving only two crew members as survivors. Acting President Choi Sang-mok has urged investigators to promptly share their findings with the bereaved families.

The call for enhanced safety measures comes as another Jeju Air flight had to return to Seoul shortly after takeoff on Monday due to an unidentified landing gear issue.

According to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, the flight departed Gimpo International Airport at 6:35 a.m. local time (9:35 p.m. GMT Sunday) but returned less than an hour later after detecting a mechanical defect.