Helicopter Crashed Killing Seven Including Chairman Of Dongkuk Steel

A helicopter, in which 12 businessmen including Kim Jong-Jin (61), the chairman of Donkkuk Steel Co. (DSC) were on board, crashed into the water killing seven people including chairman Kim, leaving one person missing and four injured. The cause of the accident seems to be the stormy weather accompanied by a heavy rain of more than 70 mm per hour.

Occurrence of the accident = A Daewoo Helicopter, an American made S76 Sikorsky built for 12 people that was on its way to Daewoo Shipbuilding Co. in Koje City, crashed into the water off the Rabbit Island, Wungdong 2 Dong, Jinhae City in South Geongsang Province at around 11:18 am yesterday.

This accident killed seven people, including chairman Kim and senior managing director Kim Dong-Hyun (55) of the DSC, and managing director Chung Kwang-Sik (55) of Daewoo Shipbuilding Co. Director Kim Sin-Kee (54) of the DSC was confirmed missing. Four injured including the pilot Kang Ik-Soo (49) are being treated at the New Virgin Mary Hospital in Masan City and other hospitals.

The helicopter took off from the Kimhae Airport in Pusan at 11:11 am. Officials of the DSC were on their way to a steel price negotiation meeting between Daewoo Shipbuilding scheduled on the afternoon of the day.

An eyewitness Je Chul-Jin, an employee of H Construction Co at the Pusan New Port site, said, `` While I was taking a break due to the sudden heavy rain, the helicopter that was continuously ascending and descending fell down into the water after a sudden ascending.``

Right after the accident, three local residents including Kim Kang-Sik (39), who runs a sushi bar at Yeondodong, Jinhae, and Choi Sang-Jun (41) rescued the four survivors and recovered six bodies with the 1.5 ton fishing boat Yeonjin at the accident site, 1 km off from the shore.

Cause of the accident and etc. = The police said that the accident seems to have occurred because of the stormy weather during which thunderstorm and heavy rain were

accompanied. Pilot Kang also said, ``I lost the visibility due to the thick fog.``

Although some argued that the helicopter hit a high-voltage iron tower that connects Gaduek Island in Pusan and Angolpo in Jinhae City, the Korea Electric Power Corporation said that there was nothing wrong with the iron tower.

In the meantime, about ten boats from Pusan and Tongyoung Coast Guard Stations and the Navy and 20 Navy’s SSU members are searching for the lost in the area.

Persons killed = Kim Jong-Jin, Kim Dong-Hyun, Chung Kwang-Sik, Lee Kwang-Jin (48. manager of DSC), Chung Un-Lak (42. section chief of DSC), Lee Yun-Woo (44. vice manager of Daewoo Shipbuilding), and Chung Jae-Kwon (49. co-pilot).

Person missing = Kim Sin-Kee.

Persons injured = Sin Oh-Kyun (41. vice manager of Daewoo), Lee Suk-Jae (34. deputy section chief of Daewoo), and Kim Kun-Sueb (36. mechanic).

Kang Jeong-Hoon manman@donga.com