No matter what aircraft is used, the pilot and 179 passengers who went to heaven cannot be brought back to this world. However, their grievances can be addressed. [Photo=Yonhap News] The key issue in the Muan Airport Disaster parliamentary inquiry, which continues until the end of January, is to uncover the background of the "concrete embankment," the fundamental cause of the disaster.

The majority of the public perceives the Muan Airport Disaster as a political incident, and even those who are friendly to the ruling party believe that the truth must be investigated.

Of course, some still blame the pilot. Some even blame former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong, who was not in office at the time. This is despite the scientific conclusion that "if there had not been the concrete embankment, all 181 people would have survived."

Who is behind the concrete embankment?

Three names are being mentioned in public discourse.

First, former President Kim Dae-jung.

Muan Airport began construction in 1999 with full government support during Kim Dae-jung's tenure (1998-2003).

At the time, Kim Dae-jung appointed many individuals from the Honam region to key positions to address the issue of Honam's marginalization and focused on infrastructure investment, including the construction of airports, highways, and bridges throughout the region. In particular, Muan International Airport was a crucial infrastructure project and a long-cherished goal for Honam, Kim Dae-jung's political home.

Unfortunately, Honam did not achieve remarkable economic growth relative to its investment. Ultimately, Kim Dae-jung's slogan, "The development of Honam is the development of the nation," became an empty echo.

Late last year, the Lee Jae-myung administration announced that it was considering renaming the airport to "Kim Dae-jung Airport" after deciding to relocate and integrate the Gwangju military airport to Muan (2027) with an investment of 1 trillion won led by the Presidential Office. This is evidence that Kim Dae-jung's stake in Muan Airport cannot be ignored.

Next, former Democratic Party leader Han Hwa-kap is being discussed.

There are allegations that Han Hwa-kap, who was then the "second-in-command of the Donggyodong faction" and the local constituency representative, exercised practical influence and either condoned or pushed for the installation of the concrete embankment, which violated international safety standards, in order to expedite the airport's opening and achieve administrative results.

At the time of commencement, Han Hwa-kap's constituency was "Mokpo City and Sinan County, Jeollanam-do," but from the 16th general election in 2000, when airport construction began in earnest, Muan County and Sinan County, Jeollanam-do, which included Muan Airport, were incorporated into his constituency.

The People Power Party claims that "the government at the time prioritized the superficial completion of the airport over compliance with safety regulations to gain the support of the Honam region's public opinion, resulting in the installation of a fatal concrete structure at the end of the runway, which should not have been there."

When designing an airport, a localizer (a facility that provides heading information) is installed in the runway end safety area (RESA).

According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and the Airport Facilities Act, there is a regulation that facilities installed in this safety area must be of a frangible structure.

Then how did this extremely dangerous concrete embankment come to be installed? The People Power Party claims that "the entity responsible for airport construction, knowing the danger of the facility, engaged in a 'trick' to make it appear on paper as if safety standards were met."

The third person mentioned is Kim Hyun-mi, who served as the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport from 2017 to the end of 2020 during the Moon Jae-in administration. She was appointed at the start of the Moon Jae-in administration and served for three years and six months, during which she was investigated by prosecutors for alleged manipulation of real estate statistics. This suggests a history of manipulation.

In the parliamentary inquiry, National Assembly member Kim Eun-hye directly revealed internal documents from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, proving with concrete evidence that the ministry had been systematically concealing the facility defects for 10 months despite being aware of them.

As the facts emerged through various evidence, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport also admitted for the first time since the disaster that the localizer at Muan Airport did not meet safety standards.

The Ministry submitted an opinion to the National Assembly stating that the concrete embankment "does not comply with regulations and should have been improved during the 2020 renovation project."

Was there no single person there?

Let's assume that it was unavoidable and everyone was steeped in complacency and corruption. Perhaps there wasn't just one person? If only one person had been righteous, they would have survived. If they had properly inspected it during the 2020 maintenance period, the concrete embankment would not have been there. That was the last chance.

On December 30, 2024, visitors pay their respects at the joint altar for the victims of the Jeju Air passenger plane crash, set up at the Muan Comprehensive Sports Park in Muan County, Jeollanam-do. [Photo=Yonhap News]

The Muan Airport Disaster is a tragedy created by three stages of denial: design, construction, and indifference.

It is very regrettable that some people are still discussing pilot error.

In March 2025, SBS broadcasted a program showing simulated flight training conducted by several domestic airlines following the Muan Airport Disaster.

Current pilots unanimously stated that even attempting a landing in a two-engine fail situation, with both engines out, under conditions identical to the disaster aircraft in terms of altitude, speed, and weather, had a low probability of success.

Even a pilot with 22 years of experience shook their head, saying not a single person succeeded in the simulator.

Examining the communication between the pilot and the control tower during the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster reveals a disagreement between the pilot's intention to land and the control tower's instructions.

After the bird strike occurred, the pilot expressed their intention to land on Runway 1, which had no embankment. However, the control tower instructed them to land on Runway 19, which had the embankment, and the pilot accepted. The plane then veered off the runway after landing, collided with the concrete embankment, and exploded.

Is the go-around the problem? A go-around is the process of finding the landing position and timing. Make an excuse that makes sense, people. In a similar incident at Sebu Airport (2022), the pilot successfully landed after three go-arounds. At that time, Korean Air hit and broke the localizer, stopping, and saving themselves and all passengers.

The deceased Jeju Air pilot was not only a competent but also a wise individual and an excellent captain who did his best in his job. He should not be falsely accused.

No matter what aircraft is used, the pilot and 179 passengers who went to heaven cannot be brought back to this world. However, their grievances can be addressed.

Those who were lucky enough to survive must do it.

Reporter Lim Yo-hee