Ministry officials referred to prosecutors for hiding localizer rules after crash that killed 179

Police investigating the Dec. 29, 2024, Jeju Air crash at Muan International Airport — in which 179 of the 181 people on board were killed after the aircraft struck a localizer on landing — have referred seven Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport officials to prosecutors on charges of fabricating press releases to deflect responsibility.

The Korean National Police Agency's special investigation unit for the Dec. 29 passenger aircraft disaster announced Wednesday that it had referred the seven Land Ministry officials to prosecutors on Tuesday on charges including preparation of false official documents.

According to police, the press releases stated that "the localizer at Muan Airport was installed in compliance with relevant regulations" — even though the localizer struck by the aircraft had not been installed to those standards. The materials were distributed to reporters covering the ministry on two separate occasions. Police concluded that the officials had deliberately concealed problems with the Muan Airport localizer to evade responsibility for the disaster.

A unit official said investigators had confirmed indications that the suspects had continuously developed counterarguments against the localizer's illegality and systematically concealed the issue. The official added that no evidence had been found of involvement by the then-minister or vice minister of the Land Ministry, or by the presidential office, in the preparation and distribution of the press releases downplaying the localizer problems.

"Both domestic and international regulations clearly state that localizers must be built with a frangible structure, yet it is suspected that this provision was deliberately omitted from the press releases," the official said. "It appears the ministry officials selectively cited only favorable regulations while concealing those that were unfavorable."

The unit has not yet referred suspects on charges of professional negligence causing death and injury — the allegations tied to the localizer as the direct cause of the crash. An official said prosecutors had requested a consolidated referral for the convenience of maintaining the prosecution.

The unit is also examining how Muan Airport came to open without correcting problems with the localizer and other runway structures. "During search and seizure operations at the Land Ministry and Korea Airports Corporation on Aug. 11, we secured some materials that shed light on the decision-making process behind Muan Airport's opening, and we are currently analyzing them," the official said.

Police established the special unit on Jan. 28 and launched a Korean National Police Agency-level investigation after sustained criticism that the South Jeolla Provincial Police Agency's probe into the crash was moving too slowly.