Newscasts - A year on, doubts remain as Jeju Air crash report is delayed

AK Holdings

26/12/2025 09:48

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Source: 'Reuters - General news videos'

Description: A South Korean investigation into the Jeju Air crash that killed 179 people is set to miss a one-year deadline to release a progress report, two officials said, as frustrated relatives of the victims continue to demand answers about what went wrong. Ram Nabong reports.

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Video Transcript:

42-year-old Ryu Kum-Ji held a one-person protest in Seoul on Wednesday. It's her way of demanding answers on South Korea's investigation into the Jeju Air crash that killed 179 people. Ryu lost both of her parents in the crash.

Well, it feels like all kinds of doubts are just growing bigger and bigger. In the meantime, a year has gone by, and it feels like the frustration is only continuing to build.

On December 29, 2024, the Boeing 737-800 made an emergency belly landing at Muan airport. It overshot the runway, slammed into a concrete embankment, and erupted into a fireball. Days before its first anniversary, two officials of the country's Accident Investigation Board said they will not be in a position to release the interim update. Both officials declined to be identified. In a preliminary report in January, investigators said both of the plane's engines had sustained bird strikes. While in July, investigators said that the pilots shut off the less damaged engine after the bird strike. Family members of the victims said investigators appeared to blame the pilots without exploring other factors. They pointed at the concrete structure beyond the end of the runway that likely made the disaster far more deadly.

All we want is for authorities to admit they were wrong if they did wrong and apologize. Apology and a proper disclosure of the truth, which is to find out the true cause of the crash. That is what we want.

On December 1, Ryu joined other victims' families in protest. They shaved their heads and rallied in front of the presidential office. A transport ministry official told bereaved family members this month that it would examine their concerns. South Korea's parliament will launch an independent probe into the crash on Tuesday.