A devastating state audit has uncovered that South Korea's transport ministry systematically compromised aviation safety standards for more than two decades, approving improper airport structures and cutting construction costs. This revelation follows the horrific Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crash in December 2024 at Muan International Airport, which claimed 179 lives.
Catastrophic Crash and Concrete Embankment
The Board of Audit and Inspection published its damning report on Tuesday, detailing how the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport specifically built a 2.4-metre high concrete embankment to house a localiser antenna at Muan airport. This decision was made to reduce earthwork expenses without adequately reviewing relevant safety rules.
The aircraft, which suffered a bird strike, belly-landed and overran the runway, tragically colliding with this concrete support for the localiser – a crucial landing guidance system. Under international standards, localiser structures should be designed to break apart easily upon aircraft impact to minimise damage.
Systematic Safety Failures Uncovered
The audit found the ministry wrongly approved 14 non-compliant localiser installations at eight airports including Muan, Gimhae and Jeju. For up to 22 years, the ministry certified operating permits and approved regular inspections that erroneously found frangibility standards had been met.
The ministry is responsible for airport construction and safety certification, though it hands operations to Korea Airports Corp. The auditor identified broader shortcomings in bird-strike prevention and other aspects of air safety management, notifying the ministry of 30 cases of wrongdoing or procedural failure.
Government Response and Ongoing Investigations
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it "humbly accepted" the findings and would take strict follow-up measures, including localiser improvement and stronger bird-strike prevention. A KAC spokesperson confirmed the airport operator is implementing improvements recommended by the report.
A separate government-commissioned report found the crash might not have been deadly if there had not been a concrete embankment at the end of the runway, according to an opposition lawmaker who cited a simulation contained in the report. Jeju Air did not respond to requests for comment.
The full investigative report is pending public disclosure, having missed a one-year deadline for releasing a progress report. Muan International Airport has been closed since the catastrophic December 2024 incident, with no clear timeline for reopening.
