Jeju Air Disaster Bereaved Families "MOLIT Should Be Excluded from the Accident Investigation Committee"

"Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Suspected Responsible for Disaster...
Must Be Excluded for Neutrality and Independence"

The bereaved families of the Jeju Air disaster criticized the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) for conducting a "self-investigation" and demanded the establishment of a separate neutral investigative body.

On the 4th, marking one week since the Muan Airport Jeju Air passenger plane disaster, Lee Hyuk, the chairman of the bereaved families' funeral committee and representative group, and lawyer Kim Jeong-hee (Jeju Air Passenger Plane Disaster Legal Support Team, Gwangju Bar Association) issued a statement at the passenger terminal of Jeonnam Muan International Airport. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 4th, Yonhap News reported that the representatives of the bereaved families held a press conference at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do, stating, "The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, suspected to be responsible for the disaster, is effectively conducting a 'self-investigation,'" and emphasized, "To ensure the neutrality and independence of the ARAIB, officials from the Ministry should be excluded from the investigation or a separate investigative body should be established." They also stressed, "The opinions of the bereaved families must be actively guaranteed," and urged, "Conduct a thorough investigation to soothe the grievances of the victims and heal the wounds of the families." This criticism implies that it is inappropriate for the Ministry, responsible for airport design, construction, and management, to investigate this accident. The ARAIB, formed by the Ministry, includes former Ministry officials and the current Director of the Aviation Policy Office of the Ministry.

However, Minister Park Sang-woo of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport stated, "The ARAIB is not under the direct command of the Minister, so its independence is guaranteed," and added, "The request for a fair investigation by the ARAIB is not different from the Ministry’s investigation policy." He further explained, "Since the aircraft manufacturer and insurer are foreign, and the deceased passengers include Thai nationals, everything is being conducted according to international standards," and said, "If issues arise during the investigation, compensation execution could be delayed, so I assure once again that the investigation will be conducted fairly to prevent such problems."

On the 5th, authorities announced that the third search of the tail fuselage section at the accident site had been completed. They reported that no personal belongings or human remains were found. The authorities have recovered all 179 victims, and personal belongings with confirmed owners have been sent to the families. The victims’ remains are expected to be handed over to most families on the same day after related procedures. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Central Accident Response Headquarters, as of noon that day, 176 victims had been transported to funeral homes, and three were placed in temporary storage facilities.

The Ministry’s Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board completed the transcription of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) the previous day, and preparations are underway to transfer the flight data recorder (FDR) to the United States the following day. Additionally, investigations are ongoing on the two accident aircraft engines and parts that were moved to a hangar, and debris outside the airport fence is being relocated inside the fence. The representatives of the bereaved families plan to hold a general meeting of all families on the 11th, when the funeral procedures are expected to conclude, to discuss future response directions.

Meanwhile, the police are investigating individuals who posted insulting messages about the disaster victims and their families. The National Police Agency’s Criminal Investigation Headquarters stated, "We are investigating 99 posts that insult the victims and their families." The Cyber Investigation Unit of the Jeollanam-do Police Agency apprehended one suspect who posted insulting messages about the bereaved families on an online community.