Bereaved Families Demand Accountability Following Jeju Air Crash

Families of those lost in the December Jeju Air plane crash are calling for accountability, filing a criminal complaint against 15 individuals linked to the incident, including the airline's CEO and South Korea's transport minister, citing negligence and demanding a thorough investigation into the tragedy.

In a significant legal move, 72 families of victims from the deadly Jeju Air plane crash that occurred on December 29 have filed a criminal complaint against 15 individuals, including the airline's CEO and South Korea's transport minister. This tragic incident claimed the lives of 179 of the 181 people on board, marking it as the deadliest aviation disaster in South Korean history.

The bereaved relatives are advocating for a more detailed investigation, alleging that the crash was not merely an accident but rather a "major civic disaster" stemming from the negligent management of preventable risks. Nearly five months since the crash, the authorities are still probing the causes of the incident that led to the aircraft belly-landing at Muan International Airport, eventually bursting into flames.

Frustrated by the slow pace of the investigations, Kim Da-hye, one of the relatives, expressed their deep anger and despair. "We are filled with deep anger and despair. Having taken this extraordinary measure of filing a criminal complaint, we will not give up and will continue to pursue the truth," he emphasized in a statement.

The complaint specifically calls into question the actions of air traffic control before and during the incident and regulatory compliance concerning the construction of a mound at the runway's end. As part of the flight's sequence of events, the Boeing 737-800, which had departed from Bangkok, reported striking a bird minutes before the crash landing. While investigators found bird feathers in the engines, they have yet to determine the full extent of how the bird strike may have contributed to the accident.

In parallel, numerous bereaved families have been subjected to an onslaught of harmful online comments, accusations, and conspiracies suggesting that they were insincere or profiting from the tragedy. Law enforcement has made some arrests in connection with these derogatory online posts, indicating the scale of public sentiment surrounding this painful event.

This case continues to develop as the families and their advocates pursue justice and answers amid an ongoing investigation into the causes and circumstances surrounding the tragic crash.