Families of Jeju Air Crash Victims Take Legal Action Against Airline Executives

The families of the victims in the tragic Jeju Air plane crash are pressing for justice as they file a complaint against top airline officials.

A group of 72 relatives of those who perished in the Jeju Air crash that occurred in December have formally filed a criminal complaint against 15 individuals, including the airline's CEO and South Korea's transport minister, citing allegations of professional negligence. The crash resulted in the loss of 179 lives among the 181 people on board, marking it as the deadliest aviation incident in South Korean history.

The bereaved families assert that the incident was the result of serious mismanagement and systemic failure rather than an unavoidable accident, dubbing it a "major civic disaster caused by negligent management of preventable risks." Nearly five months following the crash, investigative efforts continue, but the affected families are frustrated by what they describe as a lack of substantial progress.

Kim Da-hye, one of the relatives, expressed her outrage over the sluggish pace of the investigations, stating, "We are filled with deep anger and despair. Having taken this extraordinary measure of filing a criminal complaint, we will not give up and will continue to pursue the truth." Authorities had already opened an investigation prior to this complaint and imposed a travel ban on Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae, yet no one has faced criminal charges to date.

The complaint named a range of officials from government, airline, and airport entities who are implicated in various roles connected to the crash, including air traffic control responses, construction supervision, and facility maintenance. The Boeing 737-800 involved had taken off from Bangkok and encountered trouble shortly before landing at Muan International Airport. The pilots reported a bird strike and eventually executed a belly landing that led to the aircraft's explosion after overrunning the runway.

Investigators found bird remains in the aircraft's engines but have yet to determine how significantly the bird strike contributed to the crash. The aftermath has seen some bereaved families endure intense online harassment, with unfounded accusations suggesting they were fraudulently seeking compensation. To address this, authorities have apprehended eight individuals responsible for spreading defamatory content online.

As the investigation continues, families are urging for accountability and answers to why such a catastrophic event occurred.