The bereaved families of the “12·29 Muan Airport Jeju Air Flight Disaster,” which resulted in 181 casualties, have begun a sit-in protest along with a head-shaving ceremony in opposition to the upcoming public hearing of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) scheduled for the 4th.
On the 1st, the Bereaved Families Association held a press conference in front of the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul. They urged an end to the unilateral and opaque interim report by ARAIB and demanded a stop to the hasty public hearing process, calling for transparency in the investigation and the participation of victims.
The association argued in their appeal that ARAIB should be transferred to an independent investigation body under the Prime Minister’s Office and that the public hearing should be postponed for about three months. They expressed concerns that because ARAIB is under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the main body in charge of aviation and railway policies, the credibility of the investigation is compromised.
Further, the association criticized the Ministry of Land for allegedly portraying the disaster as well-handled in public, while conducting a self-serving, non-transparent investigation, leaving the families in the dark with no access to information. They emphasized that the remnants of the crashed plane are still left decaying at Muan Airport, illustrating the gravity of the disaster.
The association also called on the government and National Assembly not to ignore the truth of the disaster and to ensure an independent and transparent investigation environment by making ARAIB independent, with fair proceedings after its independence.
Following the press conference, they held a head-shaving ceremony and delivered their appeal to the Presidential Office. In the process, there were physical confrontations with the police as they attempted to proceed toward the Presidential Office to request a meeting with the president.
The families have planned continuous overnight protests, including rallies and candlelight vigils, until the 4th. On the day of the public hearing at the Seoul Global Center, they plan to hold a concentrated rally to demand the halt of what they view as a self-serving public hearing.
Previously, in July last year, a planned interim investigation result announcement was canceled due to opposition from the families. The board had intended to disclose findings from a detailed engine investigation and on-site survey results of the localizer mound at Muan International Airport.
Families oppose the ARAIB’s investigation results, suggesting that the Ministry’s announcement shifts the blame solely onto the pilot, and warn against public dissemination of inaccurate findings.
The “Jeju Air Flight Disaster” occurred on the morning of December 29 last year, when an aircraft attempting a belly landing at Muan Airport collided with a localizer mound outside the runway and exploded. Of the 181 people on board (175 passengers and 6 crew members), 179 died, and 2 were injured.
Meanwhile, the police are investigating the disaster involving Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Park Sang-woo, Jeju Air CEO Kim E-ba, and 39 others, including ministry personnel and airport employees, under charges of professional negligence resulting in death or injury. These individuals are suspected of neglecting responsibilities like air traffic control and bird strike prevention, or of violating airport facility-related laws.