The South Korean investigation into the Jeju Air crash that killed 179 people is set to miss its one-year deadline for a progress report, leaving victims’ families frustrated and demanding clearer answers about the disaster.
A South Korean investigation into the Jeju Air crash that killed 179 people is set to miss the one-year deadline for releasing a progress report, officials said, fuelling frustration among victims’ families who are still seeking clear answers about the disaster.
Two officials from the country’s accident investigation board said it would not be possible to issue an interim update by Monday, the first anniversary of the deadliest aircraft accident on South Korean soil. They spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
On December 29, 2024, a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 made an emergency belly landing at Muan airport, overshot the runway and slammed into a concrete embankment before bursting into flames. All but two of the 181 people on board were killed.
In a preliminary report released in January, the government-led Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board said both engines had suffered bird strikes. Investigators later said the pilots shut down the less-damaged engine after the strike, according to a July update that was not made public following objections from victims’ families.
Some relatives have said the investigation appeared to focus on pilot error while failing to fully examine other factors, including the concrete structure beyond the runway, which they believe worsened the impact of the crash.
“It feels like all kinds of doubts are just growing bigger and bigger. A year has gone by, and the frustration is only continuing to build,” said Ryu Kum-ji, who lost both her parents in the crash.
Ryu joined other family members in shaving their heads and staging a protest outside the presidential office, demanding an independent and transparent investigation. She also said possible failures by the transport ministry, which oversees the investigation board, should be examined.
A transport ministry official told bereaved families this month that their concerns would be reviewed. “We take seriously your concerns that the government’s efforts were not sufficient in the process of finding the truth,” the ministry’s second vice minister said, adding that the government would stand by the families and take a closer look.
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