South Korean police have conducted searches at several government institutions as part of an ongoing investigation into the December 2024 plane crash that claimed the lives of 179 people.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, citing international media reports, the investigation into the crash of the Jeju Air aircraft remains active.
Authorities have executed search warrants at the offices of the Korea Airports Corporation (KAC), the Ministry of Transport, and the Busan Regional Aviation Administration. Officials stated that the operation aims to secure additional evidence regarding a case of "professional negligence," in which 74 individuals are currently identified as suspects.
The incident involved a Boeing 737-800 operating as Jeju Air flight 7C2216 on the Bangkok-Muan route. On December 29, 2024, the aircraft's landing gear failed to deploy during its approach to Muan International Airport. After touching down on the runway, the aircraft lost control and collided with a perimeter wall. Of the 181 people on board—comprising 6 crew members and 175 passengers—179 lost their lives. The National Fire Agency reported that only two individuals, a man in his 20s and a woman in her 30s, survived the crash.
Preliminary findings indicate the disaster was caused by a malfunction in the aircraft's landing gear. Reports suggest the pilot attempted an initial landing, but after the gear failed to deploy, the aircraft crashed during a subsequent emergency landing attempt. This tragedy, considered the deadliest in South Korean aviation history, prompted the government to declare a seven-day period of national mourning.
