The site of the Muan Airport disaster, where 179 people were killed after crashing into a concrete embankment upon landing. [Photo=KBS]

Accidents can happen. However, the extent to which losses can be minimized when an accident occurs depends on the country's capabilities. These capabilities are deeply related to the conscience of government officials. The Muan Airport disaster best illustrates the dynamic relationship between conscience and capability.

On December 29, 2024, an aircraft exploded at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do, killing 179 people. Only two survived. At the time of the disaster, the bereaved families had to rely solely on media reports, as they did not receive accurate information from the government.

The core of the incident is the 'cause of death.'

The Democratic Party, which held the majority in the National Assembly, blamed the 'pilot' and 'bird strikes' as the main culprits and shifted responsibility to the airline. The media reported that the pilot mistakenly shut down the intact left engine instead of the right engine, which was damaged by a bird strike, causing the plane to crash. One broadcaster even traveled to the United States to cover exemplary bird strike management practices at other airports.

The core of the incident is not bird strikes, aircraft defects, or pilot error.

The official results of a commissioned investigation by the Korea Association for Structural Engineering, officially requested by the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on March 2025, were released on January 8. These results, which had not been disclosed despite the families' requests, were obtained by SBS through the office of Member of Parliament Kim Eun-hye of the People Power Party.

The results were shocking, but as expected.

"If there had been no concrete embankment at Muan Airport, all passengers would have survived."

The concrete embankment that became the decisive cause of the Muan Airport disaster. [Photo=Yonhap News]

To arrive at this single conclusion, the association used supercomputers to conduct collision simulations and calculate impact forces and the number of seriously injured individuals for various scenarios. The analysis concluded that if the concrete embankment had not been present, the aircraft would have made a belly landing and stopped after skidding for 770 meters. (Do we really need an analysis to know this?)

179 lives vanished into thin air because the plane could not travel a mere 1 kilometer further.

Furthermore, the results indicated that if the localizer had been constructed with a frangible structure instead of concrete, there would have been no serious injuries. (Isn't that common sense?)

Everyone survived the Kai Tak Airport crash

Kai Tak Airport is often compared to Muan Airport.

Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong (1925-1998), once the world's most dangerous airport, was notorious for its difficult landings due to the densely packed high-rise buildings, surrounding mountains, and the sea on all sides.

Pilots had to demonstrate near-acrobatic flying skills. To land on the runway, they first had to turn their aircraft northeast from near Lantau Island and gradually descend.

From this point, the aircraft would pass over Victoria Harbour, densely packed with ships and containers, and enter the western part of the Kowloon Peninsula, known for its high population density.

Pilots had to align the aircraft with the runway. Using guidance markers installed in Kowloon Tsai Park as a reference, they would make a 47-degree right turn from approximately 3.7 kilometers northwest of the runway and gradually descend.

The manual stipulated that the aircraft's altitude should be below 1,000 feet (300 meters) at this point. Pilots typically made the right turn at an altitude of 650 feet (200 meters) and then aligned the aircraft with the runway at an altitude of 140 feet (43 meters) for landing.

This scene remains a famous photograph of an aircraft flying between buildings and was also featured in the movie 'City on Fire'. The aircraft approached so closely that one could discern the detailed structure and components of the fuselage, giving the impression that one could jump and board it.

Hong Kong citizens gather to watch the last flight entering Kai Tak Airport on July 5, 1998. [Photo=South China Morning Post] 

Despite the constant anxiety of landing, an accident eventually occurred. In 1993, a Boeing 747 went off the runway and crashed into the sea. What is surprising is that all 296 people on board survived, even though the aircraft plunged into the sea.

Kai Tak Airport was worse off than Muan Airport in many respects. While Muan Airport was situated on mudflats, Kai Tak Airport was located in the heart of a city densely populated with high-rise buildings.

However, the reason for the survival of everyone in such a major accident is very simple: there was no concrete embankment. The Hong Kong government, under British rule, was conscientious, and its political parties were fair.

Concrete Embankment Existed Since Initial Design in 1999

Muan International Airport broke ground in 1999 with full government support during the Kim Dae-jung administration.

The concrete embankment existed since the initial design in 1999 and was deemed compliant with regulations at the time of its opening in 2007. There was another opportunity to correct this. If it had been addressed during the 2020 renovation project, this tragedy might not have occurred.

Who built this concrete embankment, and who approved its construction? Who failed to conduct proper inspections? The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Korea Airports Corporation, and the construction companies involved are all unable to provide accurate answers.

Even if, as they claim, the pilot made a mistake, the passengers could have survived. A national facility killed people. This is not a simple mistake by one or two individuals, but a massive crime involving power.

Power is adept at framing narratives. The name 'Muan Airport Disaster,' which was used at the time of the accident, was changed to 'Jeju Air Passenger Plane Accident' in a press release from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport within a day.

This suggests that someone was behind this to protect the entity that built the airport and to shift blame to the airline. Who authorized the inclusion of 'Jeju Air Accident' in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's press release? Find that person. That's where the investigation should start.

Reporter Im Yo-hee

[Response and Correction]

In our Opinion section on January 18, our newspaper published an article titled '[Im Yo-hee's Hanmi Shilon] The Backbone of the Muan Airport Disaster Must Be Revealed,' stating that the Democratic Party blamed pilots and bird strikes for the Jeju Air disaster and shifted responsibility to the airline.

In response, the Democratic Party stated, "There has been no assertion that pilots and bird strikes were the primary cause of the Jeju Air disaster. As a special committee for the 12-29 passenger plane disaster investigation is currently in progress, we plan to do our utmost to investigate and determine the cause."

This correction is made in accordance with the mediation of the Korea Media Arbitration Commission.