Land Committee Passes Bipartisan Bill to Make ARAIB Independent Over 'Jeju Air Disaster'

From the Ministry of Land to an Independent Agency under the Prime Minister
Current ARAIB Members' Terms End Immediately Upon Transition to Independence

The amendment to the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Act, which transforms the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB)-the investigation agency for the December 29 Jeju Air passenger plane disaster-into an independent investigation agency, passed the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee on December 10.

On December 10, the committee held a plenary session and, by bipartisan agreement, passed the amendment to the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Act, which changes the ARAIB from an organization under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to an independent investigation agency under the Prime Minister.

The National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee held a plenary session on the 10th and, by bipartisan agreement, passed an amendment to the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Act to change the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Committee (ARAIC), the investigative body for the December 29 Jeju Air passenger plane disaster, from an organization under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to an independent investigative body under the Prime Minister. Yonhap News

The families of the victims of the December 29 passenger plane disaster have protested, arguing that they cannot trust the investigation results as the ARAIB is under the direction and supervision of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. As a result, the ARAIB has indefinitely postponed the public hearing that was scheduled for April 4-5 to announce the interim investigation results regarding the passenger plane disaster.

Last month, the association of bereaved families of the passenger plane disaster issued a statement urging, "The ARAIB should immediately suspend all investigation activities and postpone the public hearing until it is transformed into an independent investigation agency."

The amendment also includes a provision that, upon the transition to an independent investigation agency, the terms of the current standing and non-standing members of the ARAIB will be terminated.