Jeju Air Disaster Bereaved Families: "Police Must Conduct Independent and Prompt Investigation"

"Police Accused of Evading Responsibility
by Using Investigation Board Results as an Excuse"

The Bereaved Families Association of the December 29 Muan Airport Jeju Air Passenger Plane Disaster held a rally on the 12th in front of the Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency in Muan County, Jeonnam, urging investigation into those responsible for the accident. Photo by the Bereaved Families Association of the December 29 Muan Airport Jeju Air Passenger Plane Disaster

The bereaved families of the December 29 Muan Airport Jeju Air passenger plane disaster have called for an independent and prompt police investigation, as well as transparency in the investigative process.

The Bereaved Families Association of the December 29 Muan Airport Jeju Air Passenger Plane Disaster held a rally on the 12th in front of the Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency in Muan County, Jeonnam, urging an investigation into those responsible for the accident.

In an open letter to the Chief of the Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency, they stated, "Despite the clear violation of regulations in neglecting the Muan Airport dune (localizer), the police are not conducting an investigation and keep repeating that they are waiting for the results of the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board. The police, an institution meant to protect the lives and safety of the people, are avoiding responsibility by aligning themselves with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. This is incompetence and dereliction of duty, abandoning their core mission."

They further argued, "The moment the police accept the scenario presented by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Accident Investigation Board, which shifts responsibility onto the pilot and the bird strike, they become not just bystanders but accomplices deceiving the public. The police must immediately detain and investigate those responsible for the disaster, regardless of their position or rank."

They also demanded, "The police must conduct an independent and proactive investigation, rather than relying on the distorted findings of the Accident Investigation Board. The entire investigative process must be transparently disclosed to the public."

Meanwhile, the bereaved families attempted to enter the police building to request a meeting with Chief Mo Sangmyo of the Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency but were blocked. They later held another rally in front of the Jeonnam Provincial branch of the Democratic Party of Korea, emphasizing the party’s role in the matter.