Concrete mound in Jeju Air disaster was cost-cutting measure: Audit
Published: 10 Mar. 2026, 16:54
![The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) sign is seen in front of the BAI headquarters in Jongno District, central Seoul, in this file photo [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/10/338a3e8e-f336-4141-9820-90a52893f57d.jpg)
The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) sign is seen in front of the BAI headquarters in Jongno District, central Seoul, in this file photo [NEWS1]
A concrete mound blamed for the deadly 2024 plane crash at Muan International Airport was found to have been built to save construction costs, the state auditor said on Tuesday.
The mound was raised near the end of the runway at the airport, located approximately 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Seoul, to support a localizer, which sends signals to help aircraft find the middle of the runway.
On Dec. 29, 2024, a Jeju Air jet from Bangkok crashed into the structure after making a belly landing, killing 179 passengers and crew members on board.
According to the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI), which inspected aviation safety measures and related maintenance, personnel and control, the terrain on which the runway and the adjacent runway end safety area were built is sloped.
To save construction costs of reshaping the terrain, a concrete mound was built to raise the localizer above the runway, the BAI said.
The auditor also found that the Korea Airports Corporation (KAC) demanded a review of the mound's construction in 2007 after it was approved by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in 2003 without a risk assessment. However, no changes were made.
Moreover, as part of a modernization project between 2019 and 2024, the KAC reinforced the mound at Muan and similar structures at four other airports, according to the BAI.
In total, 14 localizer structures at eight airports were found to have been built without meeting the necessary standards, it said.
Yonhap
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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