Securing Investigation Materials from ARAIB Offices
Officials from the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board investigating the cause of the Jeju Air passenger plane accident at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do are conducting an on-site inspection of the localizer facility. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
On December 16, the Jeonnam Provincial Police, which established a special investigation headquarters for the December 29 Jeju Air passenger plane disaster, dispatched investigators to the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) and executed a search and seizure warrant.
The police are currently securing materials necessary to determine the cause of the Jeju Air disaster from the ARAIB offices located near Gimpo International Airport and in Sejong City.
According to current laws governing the accident investigation board, the board operates independently from criminal investigations and cannot provide internal documents except on a voluntary basis. Therefore, the police obtained a warrant to secure the materials. No officials from the ARAIB have been booked as suspects.
The ARAIB is a specialized agency under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport responsible for investigating aviation and railway accidents, and has been tasked with uncovering the truth behind this disaster.
As controversy has grown over the so-called "self-investigation"-where a subordinate agency investigates the responsibility of its parent ministry-a bill to convert the ARAIB into an independent agency under the Prime Minister recently passed the National Assembly's standing committee.
With legislation underway to reorganize the agency, the ARAIB's fact-finding work is expected to be suspended for the time being, likely causing delays compared to the police investigation.
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