"Not a Single Step Forward"... 600 Days Since the Jeju Air Disaster

Controversy Over Inadequate Response and Delayed Investigation

Seven Officials Referred for Drafting False Press Releases

"Accountability and Release of Investigation Data Urged"

The '12·29 Muan International Airport Jeju Air Passenger Plane Disaster,' which claimed 179 lives, has now passed the 600-day mark.

On the afternoon of the 26th, the localizer hill, a navigational aid facility, was visible at the Jeju Air passenger plane accident site at Muan International Airport in Gwangju, Jeollanam-do. On the same day, the police special investigation unit referred seven Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport officials who prepared and distributed false reference materials related to the localizer immediately after the accident to the prosecution on charges including the falsification of official documents. Yonhap News Agency

In the wake of the tragedy, the authorities' attempts to evade responsibility, inadequate emergency response, the discovery of a large number of human remains after 20 months, and a stalled investigation have left bereaved families still demanding the full truth on the streets, shedding tears as they seek accountability.

False Press Release on 'Legal Installation'... Systematic Cover-Up by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

The disaster occurred at approximately 9:03 a.m. on December 29, 2024. Jeju Air Flight 7C2216, which had departed from Bangkok, Thailand and was attempting to land at Muan Airport, veered off the runway and collided head-on with a steel-reinforced concrete embankment where a localizer, part of the defense angle facility, was installed, before exploding. The accident killed 179 out of the 181 people on board, including both passengers and crew, while the remaining 2 sustained serious injuries.

From the outset, there were concerns that the facility within the runway safety zone, which should have been made from materials designed to break on impact, had instead been constructed from a solid concrete embankment, significantly worsening the damage.

Immediately after the accident, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport focused on covering up the truth. On December 30 and 31, the days following the disaster, even after confirming that the Muan Airport localizer did not comply with domestic and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, the ministry distributed a false news reference stating the facility had been installed in accordance with relevant regulations.

During an emergency meeting lasting over 3 hours and 30 minutes, violations of regulations were pointed out but ignored, and evidence has since emerged that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport attempted a coordinated cover-up by sending response documents to Korea Airports Corporation.

Just 20 days after the disaster, on January 18 of last year, the previous administration attempted to bring closure by holding a joint memorial ceremony. However, this marked the beginning of an unprecedentedly inadequate emergency response.

In February this year, during aircraft wreckage reclassification and further search of the site, authorities discovered more than 1,740 additional remains of victims and thousands of lost items stashed throughout the airport, many packed away in neglected sacks. Even 1 year and 8 months after the disaster, bereaved families had to endure yet another disaster—this time the tragedy of abandoned remains—only learning about additional DNA identification results much later.

As a result, in March and May this year, the President instructed a thorough investigation and called for strict accountability for the poor initial search response.

First Referral to Prosecutors in 600 Days Targets 'Seven Officials'... Cause Investigation Remains Murky

The Special Investigation Team at the National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police Agency has been investigating 74 individuals for charges including professional negligence resulting in injury or death. However, the only action taken in the 1 year and 8 months since the disaster has been a non-custodial referral of seven officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, responsible for creating and distributing false press materials, to the prosecution.

High-level decision-makers, such as ministers and vice-ministers, were excluded from the referral, prompting outrage from bereaved families over what they called "cutting off the tail," or shifting the blame to lower-level personnel. Meanwhile, with the investigation by the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board delayed, not a single person has been indicted for fundamental causes such as possible aircraft defects or facility shortcomings.

Amid all this, bereaved families suffered further trauma after an incident in which local officials—under pressure to reopen Muan Airport early—hung a banner with the wrong name for the President ("Jae Myung Lee" instead of the correct name), which subsequently had to be removed.

To mark the 600th day since the Jeju Air disaster, the Jeju Air Disaster Bereaved Families Association has put forth five demands: holding those responsible for inadequate response and abandonment of remains accountable, normalizing and releasing data from the accident investigation, conducting state-led funerals for the newly recovered remains, eliminating tax disadvantages suffered by spouses who died together, and thoroughly uncovering the truth without sanctuary. They are urging the government and local authorities to take responsible action.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.