SR Corp. workers and members of management take an oath to prioritize safety during a ceremony at the company's headquarters in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of SR Corp.

Safety emerged as the major keyword of New Year's messages from chief executives of airlines and railway operators here, after the Jeju Air plane crash at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province claimed 179 lives on Sunday.

Hanjin Group and Korean Air Chairman Cho Won-tae / Courtesy of Korean Air

Beginning his New Year's address with an extension of condolences to the victims of the worst-ever aviation accident on Korean soil, Hanjin Group and Korean Air Chairman Cho Won-tae described "absolute safety" as fundamental to all tasks, calling on employees to stay vigilant at all times.

"As an aviation industry insider, I realized how heavy the weight of the word ‘safety' is," the chairman said in his message uploaded on the company's intranet on Thursday.

Having emphasized the importance of safety in his previous New Year's addresses, Cho especially warned the employees against neglecting safety measures at this time of changes, caused by Korean Air's ongoing acquisition of its smaller competitor, Asiana Airlines.

Late last year, Korean Air incorporated Asiana as a subsidiary, following the much-awaited approvals from antitrust regulators in Europe and the United States.

"In order to maintain an absolutely safe flight system, close cooperation between each sector is essential," Cho said.

Similarly, SR Corp. marked the start of the New Year with a ceremony dedicated to reinforcing its commitment to safety.

Labor and management of the Super Rapid Train (SRT) high-speed train operator vowed to prioritize safety in all tasks to protect passengers.

In his New Year's address, SR Corp. CEO Lee Jong-guk also reiterated the importance of safety.

"We will improve safety management systems to maintain ‘zero accidents' again this year," he said.

Transport Minister Park Sang-woo, front center, briefs the bereaved families and journalists at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, Thursday, on the government's findings about the Jeju Air plane crash. Joint Press Corps

Transport Minister Park Sang-woo, who oversaw the investigation into the plane crash, said in his New Year's address that the ministry's officials should make Korea safer by improving safety management systems in all sectors, including aviation, road, railway and construction.

In his address the previous year, the minister just noted the need to solve problems in the housing market.

"We should thoroughly find the cause of the accident and come up with the surest ways to prevent the recurrence of similar accidents," Park said on Tuesday.

"We should (utilize) every possible resource for the bereaved families and enhance the safety management of flights to reassure the public."

Meanwhile, senior executives of Korea's heavy industrial companies, such as POSCO, LG Chem, Lotte Chemical and HD Hyundai, also emphasized the importance of safety in their New Year's messages, as the manufacturing sector is vulnerable to fatal workplace accidents.

According to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act in Korea, a company's CEO can be sent to jail if a serious worksite accident occurs when the company does not take sufficient safety precautions.