SEJONG, South Korea, Jan 7 (Reuters) - South Korea's

transport minister said on Tuesday he intends to step down to

take responsibility for the deadly crash of a Boeing ( BA ) jet

operated by Jeju Air on Dec. 29.

Jeju Air 7C2216, which departed the Thai capital of Bangkok

for Muan in southwestern South Korea, belly-landed and overshot

the regional airport's runway, exploding into flames after

hitting an embankment.

"I feel heavy responsibility for this disaster," Park

Sang-woo told a press briefing.

He said he will try to find the right timing to resign after

addressing the current situation.

The transport ministry also said it will swiftly improve the

safety of airport landing systems that experts said contributed

to the catastrophic accident that killed 179 people on board.

Air safety experts have said the embankment, designed to

prop up the "localizer" antenna used to guide landings in poor

visibility, was too rigid and too close to the end of the

runway.

Joo Jong-wan, the deputy transport minister for civil

aviation, acknowledged that safety measures were not sufficient

when building the embankment, but said they were done in line

with regulations in Korea and overseas.

The police are investigating how the embankment was

constructed, he added. The police last week raided Jeju Air and

the operator of Muan International Airport as part of their

investigation into the crash.