7 gov't officials referred to prosecution for alleged cover-up linked to 2024 Jeju Air crash
Officials search through the wreckage of a deadly Jeju Air crash at Muan International Airport, South Jeolla Province, Aug. 13. Yonhap
Seven transport ministry officials have been referred to prosecutors for allegedly covering up the unfit status of a localizer blamed for the high number of casualties in the 2024 Jeju Air plane crash, police said Wednesday.
The deadly crash on Dec. 29, 2024, killed 179 passengers and crew members when the passenger jet made an emergency belly landing at Muan International Airport, about 290 kilometers south of Seoul, and hit a concrete mound housing the localizer, a navigation system that assists aircraft landings.
The seven officials were referred to the prosecution Tuesday for allegedly drafting press releases claiming the localizer was installed in line with regulations despite knowing it was not, according to a special police investigation team.
Following the crash, the localizer's placement inside the concrete mound had drawn questions about whether it contributed to the high death toll. The transport ministry soon after distributed two press releases that claimed the localizer complied with regulations.
The police team believes ministry officials drafted the documents by omitting regulations unfavorable to the ministry, such as navigation structures being required to be built with easily breakable material in the event of a collision with an aircraft.
The International Civil Aviation Organization outlines that structures within 300 meters of the end of a runway that fail to meet such requirements must be replaced or relocated outside the 300-meter zone.
The police investigation found that the officials were aware of the regulations but decided to distribute the press releases anyway without citing them.
The police probe into the crash has taken place in parallel with an investigation by the aviation accident investigation board under the prime minister's office.
The special police team said the final results of its probe will be announced after the aviation board's investigation.