The passenger plane was landing when it went off the runway in Muan, in the country’s southwest. The flight came from Bangkok and was carrying 181 people.

The death toll was expected to rise further, as the rest of the people aboard the plane remained missing about six hours after the incident.

When South Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok arrived at the scene of the deadliest air disaster on the country's soil on Sunday, he had been on the job for less than 48 hours.