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A firefighter searches the interior of the Jeju Air passenger aircraft involved in the collision and explosion accident at Muan International Airport in Muan County, South Jeolla Province, on the 29th. (Photo = Yonhap News) |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Mokpo, South Korea — July 29, 2025 — The Korea Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) canceled its scheduled press briefing on the results of a joint engine investigation related to the Jeju Air passenger aircraft explosion at Muan International Airport, following strong opposition from the victims' families.
Yoojin Kim, head of the bereaved families council for the December 29 Muan Jeju Air disaster, stated, “For the past seven months, we have submitted advance inquiries and public disclosure requests to the ARAIB through the media. Each time, we were denied on the grounds of international regulations. Yet suddenly, they claim transparency and intend to disclose only the conclusions, without any evidence or data to support them.”
Kim added, “Any conclusion must be accompanied by clear documentation and explanations that the families can accept. We need full disclosure of how the investigation was conducted, and what evidence supports the findings.”
Families have specifically demanded the release of the joint investigation report conducted in France, which involved international aviation experts. They also criticized the ARAIB for only releasing 4 minutes and 7 seconds of air traffic control recordings, omitting key details from before the accident.
The families have called for a formal public hearing. “There are still concrete structures (berms) remaining at six airports across the country,” Kim warned. “Unless this is addressed transparently, another disaster like the Jeju Air crash could happen any day.”
Hwang Pil-kyu, an attorney with the GongGam Human Rights Law Foundation representing the families, also criticized the now-canceled briefing. “The explanation was insufficient and could be interpreted as blaming only the birds and the pilots. Investigations must be precise, and even the wording should be handled with care. Releasing just the conclusion without careful context only increases the families' mistrust.”
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport had originally planned the press conference for 3:00 p.m. that day, with ARAIB Chairman Jinhoe Kwon and Chief Investigator Seungyeol Lee in attendance. However, following a pre-briefing session with the families one hour prior, the ARAIB abruptly canceled the event in response to strong backlash.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
