Jeju Air crash victims' families protest government investigation ahead of public hearing
![Families of the victims of last year's Jeju Air crash chant slogans in front of the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Dec. 1, calling for the suspension of a public hearing by the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board and for the body’s independence. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/02/f51cbd11-1c4c-4951-85d1-20f3eaddebe1.jpg)
Families of the victims of last year's Jeju Air crash chant slogans in front of the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Dec. 1, calling for the suspension of a public hearing by the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board and for the body’s independence. [NEWS1]
Families of victims from last year’s Jeju Air crash that killed 179 people conducted an overnight sit-in and shaved their heads in protest of the “unilateral” government-led investigation outside the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Monday, ahead of a public hearing later this week.
The families’ association called on the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board to be more transparent with the association and stop attempting to rush the public hearing on Thursday, during which the agency plans to reveal its interim findings.
“The Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board [...] must provide victims' families with a full account of the truth and allow them to participate [in the investigation],” the association said.
The group also urged the government to make the board an independent body under the prime minister’s office and to delay the hearing for about three months. According to the association, the board’s position within the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport undermines the credibility of its investigation.
![Families of the victims of last year's Jeju Air crash shave their heads in front of the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Dec. 1, calling for the suspension of a public hearing by the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board and for the body’s independence. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/02/9c7b8f8b-06f4-4267-a06c-8273d66517e6.jpg)
Families of the victims of last year's Jeju Air crash shave their heads in front of the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Dec. 1, calling for the suspension of a public hearing by the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board and for the body’s independence. [NEWS1]
The association also accused the ministry of framing the crash as an incident while denying information to families.
“Torn aircraft debris still lies abandoned at Muan International Airport like wet fallen leaves, left to rot in the open, which reflects the true state of the case,” the families said.
They asked the government and the National Assembly to “not turn away from the truth of the accident” and insisted that all proceedings, including the hearing and any interim reports, take place only after the board becomes independent.
![Family members of the victims of last year's Jeju Air crash clash with police as they head to the presidential office to request a meeting with President Lee Jae Myung on Dec. 1, following a press conference held in front of the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul, earlier in the day. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/02/f1da9946-01e1-4264-ad2d-9c438d81c3dd.jpg)
Family members of the victims of last year's Jeju Air crash clash with police as they head to the presidential office to request a meeting with President Lee Jae Myung on Dec. 1, following a press conference held in front of the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul, earlier in the day. [NEWS1]
After Monday’s press conference, families shaved their heads and attempted to deliver an appeal to an official at the presidential office. Some members clashed briefly with police after they tried to approach the building to request a meeting with the president.
The families plan to continue their overnight sit-in until Thursday and hold rallies and candlelight events, calling for a full investigation. They also plan to stage a protest at the Seoul Global Center, where the public hearing is scheduled to take place.
The investigation board attempted to release interim findings last July but withdrew the plan after families objected. The board had prepared to announce results from a detailed engine inspection and an on-site review of a localizer mound near the runway at Muan International Airport.
![Officials from the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board leave the briefing room of the management building at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla on July 19, after a scheduled briefing on the detailed engine analysis related to last year's Jeju Air crash was canceled. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/02/baf62170-df1b-46b3-b1c3-26b172529aaa.jpg)
Officials from the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board leave the briefing room of the management building at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla on July 19, after a scheduled briefing on the detailed engine analysis related to last year's Jeju Air crash was canceled. [YONHAP]
Families argued at the time that the findings placed too much blame on the pilots and said the ministry should not release what they called “faulty conclusions” to the media.
The Jeju Air crash occurred around 9:03 a.m. on Dec. 29 last year when an aircraft attempting a belly landing struck a localizer mound off the runway at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla and exploded. Of the 181 people on board, 179 died, and two were injured.
Police booked then-Land Minister Park Sang-woo, Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae and 37 other government and airport officials on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death or injury. Investigators say they either handled air traffic or bird-strike prevention duties or violated laws governing airport facilities.
![Police special forces carry life jackets as they leave the scene at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla on Jan. 4, where they had been finishing search operations related to the Jeju Air crash. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/02/32adcee8-38c0-469d-94d2-5a396325cc8b.jpg)
Police special forces carry life jackets as they leave the scene at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla on Jan. 4, where they had been finishing search operations related to the Jeju Air crash. [YONHAP]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HWANG HEE-GYU [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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