On the afternoon of the 31st, at the scene of the Jeju Air crash at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do, officials from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, Boeing, and other joint investigation bodies from South Korea and the U.S. were investigating the damaged localizer, a navigational aid facility, which was destroyed in the collision.
The issue of whether concrete structures (embankments) and localizers, which are cited as causes that worsened the disaster, violated regulations, continued into the first day of the New Year, January 1.
Concerns were raised that the initial location of the embankment supporting the localizer was too close to the runway, and that the embankment was made of concrete instead of a more fragile material, exacerbating the accident’s damage. It was also pointed out that such facilities do not exist at foreign airports. Experts suggest focusing on establishing new standards following this accident.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport stated in a briefing at the Sejong Government Complex that they would review domestic and international standards and foreign cases comprehensively. They also confirmed that the facility’s design was applied from the time of Muan Airport’s initial construction.
Ju Jong-wan, head of the Aviation Policy Division at the Ministry, explained, “An embankment existed from the airport’s opening, and past documents show that there were concrete supports inside it.” He stated that during the 2022 renovation, concrete plates were added on the top rather than covering the entire structure with concrete. The localizer construction was ordered by the Ministry and Seoul Regional Aviation Administration, and carried out by the Kumho Construction Consortium.
However, given the severity of the disaster, the Ministry plans to reassess the facilities installed at airports nationwide. Ju stated, “We are currently examining the material of navigational aids installed at airports around the country.”
Regarding the discrepancy between the Ministry’s initial explanation and reports that no similar concrete structures exist at foreign airports, they stated, “Our data indicates that there are [concrete embankments at foreign airports], but since there are claims otherwise, we will review and clarify.” The Ministry had previously mentioned airports like Los Angeles (LA) and Tenerife in Spain as having similar concrete structures, which was disputed.
The disaster’s scale was attributed to the embankment being made of concrete, a material not easy to break, which intensified the damage. According to the Ministry’s notice on airport and airfield standards, equipment, and facilities used for navigation must be installed in runway end safety areas using materials that minimize risk to aircraft, making them fragile, and installed to minimal weight and height.
The reason for the concrete embankment was “to prevent it from shaking in wind and rain, judged it was placed outside the safety area and thus not restricted by material constraints,” and they would “review international standards and foreign cases, consulting expert opinions.”
When asked about safety issues at other domestic airports, they responded, “Comprehensive facility standards are in place, and other airports operate according to those standards. However, we continue special safety inspections across aviation safety, and adjustments will be made if issues arise.”
Experts agree that if there is no defect in domestic regulations, the investigation into this disaster should lead to establishing new standards. Professor Yoon Moon-gil from Korea Aerospace University noted that if the embankment had been made of weaker material, the localizer might have caused more damage by possibly being blown away. He stressed the importance of thoroughly investigating whether any regulations were violated at Muan International Airport and focusing on establishing new standards to prevent future accidents if the current regulations were adhered to.