South Korean Authorities To Check Navigation Facilities In All Local Airports After Jeju Air Tragedy

Illustration of airports in South Korea. (Wikimedia Commons/Yoo Chung/Casbian Blue)

JAKARTA - South Korea's Ministry of Transport said on Wednesday the government would examine navigational facilities that help land planes at all domestic airports, following growing evidence of a concrete structure supporting a localizer navigation tool may have exacerbated the impact of the tragedy of the Jeju Air plane crash at Muan International Airport.

The investigation will focus on whether the materials used for the structure and distance from the runway comply with domestic and international standards.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation said it was investigating materials used in navigation assistance facilities at all airports across the country. Localizer, the main navigation tool, helps aircraft align with runways during landings.

The use of concrete for such structures has existed since 20 years ago, when Muan International Airport was designed, the ministry said.

During briefings on Monday and Tuesday, ministry officials initially defended navigation facilities at Muan airport, insisting that the facility met regulatory standards. They also claim similar concrete structures exist at international airports, including Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), United States and Tenerife Airport in Spain.

However, controversy developed after it was revealed that ministry regulations on airport and airport installation standards required the expansion of the safety zone to the point where navigation safety facilities were installed.

Further doubts arise in the aviation industry, with satellite imagery suggesting airports like LAX may not have a similar concrete structure.

Ministry officials later said they planned to conduct a thorough review of regulations from the International Civil Aviation Organization and other key aviation authorities, including airport cases abroad.

"We will soon provide a detailed explanation, based on a thorough review and expert consultation," an official said, quoted from The Korea Times January 2.

"Although our records suggest such a structure, we will verify and respond to claims that there are no such concrete mounds at other airports," he continued.

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft belonging to Jeju Air airline with flight number 7C2216 and registration of HL8088 from Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand had a fatal accident while landing at Muan International Airport, South Korea on December 29.

The plane carrying 175 passengers and six crew members on the flight turned into fireball after making an emergency landing and hitting the wall. Only two crew members survived the incident.

The concrete structure near the runway at Muan International Airport houses a navigation system that helps land the aircraft, known as a localizer, and is about 250 meters from the end of the runway.

Many experts think the number of victims could be much lower, if the concrete structure did not exist.

Meanwhile, all 179 victims of the tragic plane crash have now been identified, including the last five victims whose identities have not been confirmed as of Tuesday, according to the Headquarters for Disaster Management and Central Safety.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok confirmed that the identification process had been completed overnight, and the body had been returned to the victim's family. Funeral arrangements are ongoing and the body is now buried in the cemetery hall.

Choi ordered the relevant ministries to provide full support to the bereaved families. He also emphasized the importance of objective and comprehensive investigations into the cause of the accident, by calling for transparency in his processes and findings.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transportation said it would send flight data recorders from Jeju Air planes that crashed into the US for analysis. The transfer date will be determined after consulting with the National Transportation Safety Agency (NTSB), he said.

The record was reported to have suffered external damage and lost connectors linking the data storage unit to the power source.