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President orders thorough reinvestigation of Jeju Air plane crash

Published: 12 Mar. 2026, 19:03

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a senior aides’ meeting at the Blue House in central Seoul on March 12. [YONHAP]

President Lee Jae Myung ordered a thorough investigation of the Jeju Air plane crash on Thursday after human remains from victims continued to be discovered more than a year after the tragedy at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla on Dec. 29, 2024.

“A thorough investigation must take place to determine why some remains were not recovered during the initial response and why they remained unattended for over a year,” Lee said on Thursday.

The directive came after Lee received a report on a renewed investigation of wreckage from the crash, said Lee Kyu-youn, the presidential secretary for public relations, during a briefing on Thursday.

The president also ordered officials to “hold those responsible for mishandling the response accountable” and expressed his condolences to the victims and their families, according to the presidential aide.

Recovery operations at Muan International Airport were conducted from Dec. 29, 2024, the day of the crash, to Jan. 20, 2025. Authorities searched the crash site for the victims’ bodies and personal belongings, as well as aircraft wreckage. Aircraft fragments had scattered widely across the site, with debris discovered more than 100 meters (328 feet) from the main crash location.

Families of the victims of the Muan Airport Jeju Air disaster protest in front of the Blue House in Jongno District, central Seoul, on March 9. [YONHAP]

Police, firefighters and military personnel were deployed during the search, and they collected more than 1,000 pieces of human remains and more than 1,100 personal belongings in the search area, which extended beyond the airport fence.

Authorities moved key aircraft components, including the engines, to an airport hangar for detailed inspection. The remaining wreckage was stored behind the airport fire station, but no further detailed examination of the debris was conducted at the time.

A visitor pays their respects to victims of the Dec. 29 Jeju Air crash at a memorial altar set up in Daegu on Dec. 29, 2025. [NEWS1]

Since Feb. 12 this year — about one year and two months after the disaster — the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board and the Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency’s forensic team have been conducting a renewed investigation of the wreckage.

According to the Blue House, investigators have so far discovered nine additional pieces of human remains belonging to seven victims; 648 personal items, including four mobile phones; and 155 aircraft components.

The renewed investigation will continue through the end of the month, according to Lee Kyu-youn.

“We will conduct a thorough investigation to properly honor the bereaved families and fulfill our responsibility in disaster response,” the presidential aide said.

Land Minister Kim Yun-duk bows after delivering an apology for the delay in the Jeju Air crash investigation at Sejong on March 9. [NEWS1]

Separately, Land Minister Kim Yun-duk bowed his head in apology on Monday, acknowledging that the initial recovery operations at the crash site had been inadequate.

“We will carefully examine the remaining wreckage without missing a single piece and carry out the recovery process responsibly until the end,” Kim said. “We will also take full responsibility for determining the cause of the crash.”

The Jeju Air passenger plane from Bangkok erupted into flames after making an emergency belly landing at Muan International Airport and crashing into a concrete mound supporting the runway's localizer, killing 179 passengers and crew members on board.

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 CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]