On December 29, a devastating incident struck South Korea when a Jeju Air plane crashed while attempting to land at Muan International Airport, claiming the lives of 179 passengers. Only two crew members survived, rescued from the tail section of the shattered aircraft.
The plane, a Boeing 737-800 operated by Jeju Air, had departed from Bangkok and was attempting to land when it crashed at around 9 a.m. Authorities reported the aircraft was so extensively shattered that the tail was the only identifiable part left.
Days after the crash, the events leading to the plane losing control and ultimately crashing with a concrete barrier are still unclear. At 8:59 a.m., the pilot reported a bird strike and declared an emergency, informing Muan International Airport he would abort his landing attempt and circle in the air to prepare to attempt another. However, instead of completing a full circuit, the veteran pilot approached the runway from the south at an unusually high speed. Just three minutes later, at 9:03 a.m., Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 collided with a concrete structure at the southern end of the runway.
As the investigation continues, one pressing question looms: What occurred during the critical four minutes between the bird strike report and the fatal crash?
Authorities are recovering and analyzing black box data, including cockpit voice recordings and other flight data, to piece together the sequence of events. Initial theories suggest that the bird strike could have severely damaged the plane’s engine. Still, questions remain as to why standard emergency procedures were not followed and why the aircraft approached at such a high speed.
South Korean officials raided the company’s offices and imposed a travel ban on Kim E-bae, the CEO of Jeju Air, as part of the investigation into the worst plane crash to take place on South Korean soil. The airline, already struggling with substantial debt, now faces additional financial strain as its stock price plummets by 10% and passengers cancel bookings.
The Jeju Air plane crash was extremely shocking for South Korea, a country known for its exceptional aviation safety record. Over two decades ago, a series of fatal Korean Air accidents prompted the government to reevaluate its aviation protocols and revamp safety standards. Following a tragic Korean Air crash in Guam that took 225 lives, South Korea undertook significant efforts to improve its safety measures.
The timing of the crash has further intensified the national instability in the country. With widespread frustration surrounding President Yoon Suk Yeol’s recent impeachment following a brief but clamorous martial law decree, the tragedy has added to the public unrest. Yoon’s impeachment left South Korea without an elected leader, and the following week, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was also impeached, less than two weeks into his acting presidency.
This political turbulence led to the appointment of Choi Sang-mok as acting president just days before the crash. The plane crash is now the first major challenge for Choi, who faces the enormous responsibility of leading South Korea through both the aftermath of the crash and the political crisis.
The plane crash, along with the ongoing political turmoil, has thrown South Korea into a state of crisis, as the nation deals with both the immediate devastation and the uncertainty surrounding its future governance and stability.