"From Humidifier Disinfectant to Jeju Air Disaster"... Signs of Boycott Movement Against Major Shareholder Aekyung Group

Online Movement to Boycott Aekyung Group Spreads
Sharing Lists of Products and Affiliates
Also Accused of Involvement in 'Humidifier Disinfectant Scandal'

A list of cosmetic product names and household goods brands sold by subsidiaries of the Aekyung Group and Aekyung Industrial. X (formerly Twitter)

On the 29th, a major disaster occurred when a Jeju Air passenger plane crashed at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do, resulting in 176 deaths and 3 missing persons. Amid this tragedy, calls to boycott the largest shareholder of Jeju Air, the Aekyung Group, are emerging. This is interpreted as a consequence of growing “Jeju Air responsibility theory” following testimonies that Jeju Air’s maintenance environment was poor and that aircraft defects had been frequent.

On the 30th, posts listing the names of cosmetic products and household goods brands sold by Aekyung Group affiliates and Aekyung Industrial rapidly spread mainly on social networking services (SNS) such as X (formerly Twitter). Netizens urged others to “please check once before purchasing and be cautious,” encouraging a boycott. Comments such as “Boycott Aekyung,” “We will remember,” “Need to change shampoo,” and “Cannot trust or use anymore” flooded the posts.

One post stating that Aekyung Group was involved in the “humidifier disinfectant scandal” was shared more than 10,000 times. Former Aekyung Industrial CEO Ahn Yong-chan was indicted in 2019 on charges of selling the humidifier disinfectant product “Humidifier Mate” using toxic chemicals without verifying its safety from 2002 to 2011, which caused 98 casualties. On the 26th, the Supreme Court overturned the original sentence of 4 years imprisonment and sent the case back to the Seoul High Court, and the trial is still ongoing.

A, who introduced himself as an employee of Jeju Air, wrote this post in February. Blind

As posts pointing out internal problems of Jeju Air are being reexamined online, the boycott movement is spreading to the entire group of affiliates. A person introducing themselves as a Jeju Air employee posted on the workplace community Blind in February titled “Don’t ride Jeju Air,” stating, “These days, engine defects happen frequently. You never know when it will crash,” and “The company went to ruin in maintenance, operations, and finance after hiring the wrong CEO.” They also pointed out, “These days, everyone is escaping to other airlines.”

There were also claims that aircraft safety had been precarious from the start due to poor working conditions, such as maintenance technicians not being guaranteed rest time and being overburdened compared to other airlines. B, who identified themselves as a Jeju Air maintenance technician, claimed, “Maintenance technicians work 13 to 14 hours at night with only about 20 minutes to eat, so there is basically no rest time.” B added, “You are flying on planes maintained by people who have 1.5 times the workload compared to other airlines, are exhausted without rest, and are not properly treated,” warning, “It would not be surprising if a major accident happens anytime.” They also added, “In the aircraft maintenance industry, there is a famous saying, ‘If you endure two years at Jeju Air, you can endure anywhere.’”

So far, the main cause of the accident has been pointed out as landing gear failure due to a bird strike. However, since the landing gear could have been operated by power supplied from the remaining engine even if one engine failed due to a bird strike, there are claims suggesting the possibility of aircraft defects. Some experts emphasize that such a major disaster is unlikely to occur from a single engine failure caused by a bird strike alone and that the cause of the accident?whether it was a bird strike, aircraft defect, or maintenance failure?must be thoroughly analyzed.

Earlier, at 9:03 a.m. on the 29th, a Jeju Air passenger plane carrying 181 people from Bangkok exploded during the landing process on the runway at Muan International Airport. Fire authorities stated that except for two survivors, all others are presumed dead. Muan Airport is the only international airport in Honam. It is known to have a high usage rate among elderly people and family travelers who find it difficult to travel to Incheon International Airport, adding to the sorrow.