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State auditing board announces inspection of Korea's aviation safety management

Published: 13 Feb. 2025, 18:20

LEE SOO-JUNG
[email protected]

The Board of Audit and Inspection located in Jongno District in central Seoul [NEWS1]

The Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea (BAI) said Thursday that it would launch an audit into aviation safety management starting the second quarter of this year.

The aviation audit appeared aimed at detecting and fixing safety loopholes in flight-related facility management after the crash of a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla claimed 179 lives last December.

The BAI announced its yearly audit plan, including inspections of 83 ministries and state agencies focused on 67 agenda items related to public safety, social infrastructure and government spending.

The BAI is an independent government watchdog that inspects the performance of state-run institutions and the behavior of public officials.

Along with 15 airports nationwide, the Korea Airports Corporation, the Incheon International Airport Corporation and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport would be subject to audits.

Specifically, the audit will focus on the operation and installation of airport facilities, including runways and instrument landing systems such as localizers. Management of personnel and equipment for air traffic control and fire extinguishing systems are also included in the audit’s scope. The BAI will also review how probes into aviation accidents have been conducted.

Bereaved relatives who lost family members in December's Jeju Air crash pay silent tribute at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla on Feb. 13. [YONHAP]

In addition, the BAI will audit the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee to inspect irregularities in support and protection for national athletes, seemingly addressing Olympic medalist An Se-young’s allegation that the Badminton Korea Association mistreated athletes.

The BAI will also review the committee’s budget spending and assess whether the Culture Ministry’s oversight was proper.

The BAI’s annual review will also include an inspection of the government’s monetary situation, agricultural subsidies, illegal labor practices at infrastructure construction sites, security protections for public network systems, rural population and demographic changes and damages incurred by climate change.

In a press briefing, Hwang Hae-sik, the deputy secretary general in charge of the planning and coordination office, said his agency has “reinforced periodic audits on institutions since last year.”

The number of agencies that are subject to period audit jumped by 22 this year, he said.

“The agency reinforced the audit based on the idea that fulfilling individuals’ duties as public servants is important in such an uneasy time in public offices,” Hwang said.

When asked whether the BAI would inspect impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol’s botched martial law imposition and the city of Busan’s failed bid to host Expo 2030, Hwang said both subjects were “improper for audits.”

Hwang said the martial law decree was being investigated and tried in court and that the BAI had not discussed auditing the matter.

“When it comes to the failed expo bid, the agency concluded it would be unsuitable for a BAI audit after discussing it internally,” Hwang said, explaining that his agency would find auditing diplomatic activity challenging.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [[email protected]]