Son Chang-wan's death raises questions amidst scrutiny of safety standards at Muan International Airport.
Ex-Korea Airports Chief Found Dead After Jeju Air Crash
Ex-Korea Airports Chief Found Dead After Jeju Air Crash
Investigation continues into the recent aviation disaster in South Korea.
The former head of the Korea Airports Corporation, Son Chang-wan, was discovered dead at his residence in Gunpo, South Korea, on Tuesday, as police labeled the incident an apparent suicide. His death comes amid the fallout from the Jeju Air plane crash on December 29, 2024, at Muan International Airport, which resulted in the deaths of 179 individuals onboard a Boeing 737-800.
Son, who served as president from 2018 until 2022, had overseen renovations at the Muan airport, but he was not under investigation regarding the crash, which is currently being examined by the Jeonnam Provincial Police. Although the Korea Airports Corporation, a government entity responsible for various airport operations, remains tight-lipped about Son's passing, they indicated it is a personal matter.
Investigations into the fatal aviation disaster are particularly focused on a concrete wall housing an antenna array crucial for the aircraft's landing guidance. The ill-fated flight 7C2216 collided with the structure at high speed, leading to an explosive crash that obliterated most on board, making it the deadliest aviation accident in South Korea and one of the most tragic globally since the Lion Air Flight 610 disaster in 2018.
The safety protocols of the Korea Airports Corporation have come under fire, with critics suggesting that the crash's severity might have been mitigated if the antenna array's mounting had been designed to be more fragile, akin to those employed at other airports. Despite government assertions that the structure complied with existing safety regulations, subsequent inspections by the transportation ministry uncovered that multiple airports, including Muan, failed critical safety assessments, necessitating urgent updates to runway facilities.
In response to the investigation and ongoing public concern, the transportation ministry announced plans to replace the concrete structure at Muan with a more breakable alternative. Concurrently, adjustments will also be made to airport localizers, transitioning to lighter steel designs. Additional measures to increase safety zones at runway ends are in progress, extending these areas to a minimum of approximately 790 feet; as a result, Muan’s runway will remain closed until mid-April.
Meanwhile, a team of aviation officials from South Korea, the United States, and Boeing is dissecting the mishap, grappling with limitations due to a failure in one of the flight recorders just before the crash. Separate police inquiries are underway, with Jeju Air's chief executive currently barred from leaving the country as investigations proceed.
Son, who served as president from 2018 until 2022, had overseen renovations at the Muan airport, but he was not under investigation regarding the crash, which is currently being examined by the Jeonnam Provincial Police. Although the Korea Airports Corporation, a government entity responsible for various airport operations, remains tight-lipped about Son's passing, they indicated it is a personal matter.
Investigations into the fatal aviation disaster are particularly focused on a concrete wall housing an antenna array crucial for the aircraft's landing guidance. The ill-fated flight 7C2216 collided with the structure at high speed, leading to an explosive crash that obliterated most on board, making it the deadliest aviation accident in South Korea and one of the most tragic globally since the Lion Air Flight 610 disaster in 2018.
The safety protocols of the Korea Airports Corporation have come under fire, with critics suggesting that the crash's severity might have been mitigated if the antenna array's mounting had been designed to be more fragile, akin to those employed at other airports. Despite government assertions that the structure complied with existing safety regulations, subsequent inspections by the transportation ministry uncovered that multiple airports, including Muan, failed critical safety assessments, necessitating urgent updates to runway facilities.
In response to the investigation and ongoing public concern, the transportation ministry announced plans to replace the concrete structure at Muan with a more breakable alternative. Concurrently, adjustments will also be made to airport localizers, transitioning to lighter steel designs. Additional measures to increase safety zones at runway ends are in progress, extending these areas to a minimum of approximately 790 feet; as a result, Muan’s runway will remain closed until mid-April.
Meanwhile, a team of aviation officials from South Korea, the United States, and Boeing is dissecting the mishap, grappling with limitations due to a failure in one of the flight recorders just before the crash. Separate police inquiries are underway, with Jeju Air's chief executive currently barred from leaving the country as investigations proceed.
