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Bereaved families demand accountability at one-year anniversary of Jeju Air crash

Published: 29 Dec. 2025, 17:07 Updated: 29 Dec. 2025, 18:24

At 9:03 a.m. on Dec. 29, the time of the Jeju Air crash one year earlier, a memorial siren sounds at Muan International Airport in Muan County, South Jeolla as bereaved families and attendees bow their heads in silent tribute to the victims. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

A memorial service marking one year since the deadly Jeju Air passenger jet crash brought together families of the victims, government officials and lawmakers at Muan International Airport in Muan County, South Jeolla, on Monday, as calls grew for a full investigation into the aviation disaster.

About 1,200 people attended the memorial for the 179 victims who died on Dec. 29, 2024, when a Jeju Air B737-800 crashed into a localizer near the runway at Muan International Airport. The crash left 179 dead and two injured.

The memorial service, co-organized by an association of the bereaved families and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, began at 10 a.m. on the airport’s second floor. Sirens sounded nationwide at 9:03 a.m., the time of the crash, followed by a moment of silence.

The ceremony opened with a classical performance and continued with floral tributes, speeches and a symbolic stage production titled “The Road Home,” which portrayed the final journey of those returning from Thailand. Singer Lee Eun-mi closed the event with a tribute song.

The event drew bipartisan participation. Attendees included Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, Land Minister Kim Yun-duk, Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae and People Power Party floor leader Song Eon-seog, along with senior members of minor parties.

Kim Yoo-jin, head of the bereaved families association, voiced frustration over government inaction.

Bereaved families shed tears during a memorial ceremony on Dec. 29 at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla, marking one year since the Jeju Air crash. [YONHAP]

“Disasters in this country all look the same,” Kim said. “There were warnings before the tragedy, but the government failed to act. The response focused on managing the aftermath, blame fell only on low-level officials and the truth remained unclear, with only superficial efforts made to prevent it from happening again. In the past year, we have seen zero apologies, zero disclosure of records and zero arrests of those responsible. The investigation has stalled, and the government has never once given a proper answer for the deaths of 179 people.

“I urge the government once again to guarantee the bereaved families’ basic right to live, to protect us from rampant rumors and secondary harm and to ensure the independence of the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board. If the truth behind the Jeju Air disaster is not fully uncovered, tragedies like this will never end.”

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik pledged full legislative cooperation in uncovering the truth.

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, left, and National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik attend a memorial service for the Jeju Air disaster at Muan International Airport in Muan County, South Jeolla on Dec. 29. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

“We will make sure that no agency evades submitting records,” he said. “The National Assembly will carry out its responsibility and authority while remembering the rights of the victims.”

Speaking during a party leadership meeting in Muan, Rep. Jung said families are still left in the dark.

“A year has passed, but efforts to uncover the full truth remain insufficient,” he said. “The National Assembly will do its part through the state investigation to ensure those responsible are held accountable.”

Firefighters conduct search and rescue operations at the wreckage site of the Jeju Air aircraft at Muan International Airport on Dec. 30, 2024. [EPA/YONHAP]

Rep. Song also stressed that no one has been held responsible.

“Despite 179 lives lost, no one has been held accountable,” he said. “We must reassess aviation safety fundamentals, including bird-strike risks and the structural design of Muan Airport’s localizer.”

Yong Hye-in, leader of the Basic Income Party, criticized both the government and the earlier investigation which fell under auspices of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

“The Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board failed to provide a clear report on structural problems and instead placed the blame on the pilots,” she said. “The investigation has stalled, and neither the administration nor the National Assembly can avoid responsibility.”

After the memorial service, families visited the localizer structure that the plane struck during its emergency landing attempt. There, they held a private tribute and again demanded a full investigation.

“A memorial cannot be complete without uncovering the truth.” they said.

The National Assembly’s special committee on the Jeju Air disaster has recently begun a full-scale investigation that will continue through late January next year.

The special committee plans to focus its investigation through the end of January next year on bird-strike risk management, potential aircraft defects, the design, construction and maintenance of the localizer mound and whether any part of the initial crash investigation was downplayed or hidden. Lawmakers may extend the probe period if necessary.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KO SEUNG-PYO [[email protected]]