Almost five months after the shocking Jeju Air plane crash at South Korea's Muan International Airport, where 179 lives were tragically lost, grieving relatives are taking a stand. On Tuesday, 72 relatives filed a joint criminal complaint against 15 officials within both the government and aviation sector, claiming negligence and violations of South Korean laws, as shared by their lawyers.
The high-profile figures named in the complaint include Jeju Air's CEO Kim E-bae and the nation's transport minister Park Sang-woo, alongside airport operators from Muan International Airport. The families assert that the incident was more than just an accident, referring to it as a serious civil disaster resulting from inadequate risk management.
The Korean Airports Corporation and the transport ministry, responsible for managing most South Korean airports, declined to comment on the allegations, while Jeju Air has also remained silent. In their legal complaint, family members expressed concerns over the pilot's last-minute maneuver before landing, the aircraft's engine maintenance history, and the malfunctioning of the flight recorder just minutes before the incident.
Although an official cause for the crash remains under investigation, inquiries have revealed that aviation officials had been previously warned about the risks associated with bird strikes. Additionally, investigations suggest that the fatality count could have been reduced had the concrete wall at the runway's end been built from softer materials standard at other airports.
Kim Da-hye, a family member, voiced her profound anguish over the lack of progress in the months following the disaster, stating, "I can’t help but feel deep anger and despair." In response to this catastrophe, transportation authorities have promised to upgrade airport safety measures, including the installation of new navigational devices and the use of drones to monitor bird activity near runways, with plans to reopen Muan Airport in July after implementing these changes.
Authorities, including the Aviation Railroad Accident Investigation Committee and U.S. investigators, are currently conducting an in-depth inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
