South Korea Admits Airport Design Failure in Deadly Jeju Air Crash
More than a year after the fatal Jeju Air crash at Muan International Airport, South Korea’s transport ministry has acknowledged for the first time that an airport infrastructure failure likely contributed directly to the deaths of 179 passengers.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport confirmed that a concrete structure supporting a runway localizer did not comply with airport safety standards and should have been designed to break on impact. The admission follows the disclosure of a government-commissioned simulation report made public on December 8, 2025, by opposition lawmaker Kim Eun-hye.
According to the simulation, conducted by the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea, all 179 passengers who died would likely have survived had the localizer support either been frangible or not existed at all. In scenarios without the concrete barrier, the aircraft would have slid approximately 630 metres before stopping, with no serious injuries projected. A separate simulation assuming a breakaway structure produced similar results.
The findings mark a reversal from the ministry’s position immediately after the December 29, 2024 accident, when officials maintained that the installation was lawful.
The crash involved a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 operating a flight from Bangkok. After a bird strike disabled the landing gear, the aircraft made an emergency belly landing, slid along the runway, and collided with the concrete mound supporting the localizer. The impact triggered a massive fire and explosion. Only two flight attendants seated at the rear survived, making it one of South Korea’s deadliest aviation disasters in decades.
Under regulations established in 2003 and enforced in 2010, any navigation facility installed within 240 metres of a runway end must be frangible and as low-profile as possible. The concrete structure at Muan stood just 199 metres from the runway threshold. Although the airport opened in 2007, authorities had a clear opportunity to address the risk during a major upgrade project in 2020. Despite tender documents calling for a review of frangibility measures, the structure remained unchanged, with meeting records showing no objections.
“This amounts to an acknowledgment that necessary safety improvements were not made,” Kim said, calling for accountability.
Victims’ families described the crash as “a clear case of human error” and demanded an official apology, full disclosure of investigation materials, and reforms to ensure independent accident probes. Their calls gained momentum after the National Assembly of South Korea approved a cross-party special investigation on December 22, 2025, by a 245–1 vote. The 18-member committee has begun a 40-day inquiry, with scope to extend.
The probe will examine the crash’s causes, responsibility, bird strike risk assessments, the design and retention of the concrete structure, and whether officials attempted to downplay the issue. Lawmakers also noted that localizer structures are not explicitly covered under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and urged legislative changes.
Muan International Airport has remained closed since the crash and is not expected to reopen until April 2026. A full accident report is still pending, after authorities missed a one-year deadline to issue a formal progress update.
Related News: https://airguide.info/?s=jeju+air, https://airguide.info/category/air-travel-business/travel-health-security/
Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, aerotime.aero