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South Korean police announced Thursday they are pursuing criminal indictments against seven transport ministry officials in connection with the 2024 Jeju Air disaster that claimed 179 of 181 lives aboard a Boeing 737-800. The aircraft experienced landing gear failure at Muan International Airport in southern South Korea, veering off the runway and colliding with a concrete structure before igniting in flames.
Investigators have documented bird strike evidence in the plane’s engines and determined the aircraft’s black boxes ceased recording approximately four minutes before impact. Safety experts widely contend that the concrete antenna structure—designed to guide aircraft during approach procedures—bears significant responsibility for the severity of the crash and should have been constructed from materials capable of absorbing impact more effectively.
Police allege the seven officials authored public statements claiming the antenna installations met all applicable domestic and international safety standards, a representation authorities now characterize as false. The officials face charges of falsifying official documents, a conviction carrying potential sentences of up to seven years imprisonment, police said.
Prosecutors have received the cases for review and determination on formal indictment proceedings. The Transport Ministry declined to comment on the police action Thursday. Police said approximately 70 additional individuals remain under investigation, including those involved in antenna installation and airport operations at Muan.
The crash ranks as South Korea’s deadliest aviation accident since 1997. Despite the investigation’s advancement, authorities have not yet announced a definitive formal cause, and no criminal prosecutions have proceeded to date.
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