Families of Muan crash victims seek answersーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS
Last December, 179 people died in an airplane crash at an airport in South Korea. The commercial aircraft, which was attempting a belly landing, veered off a runway before crashing into a structure and exploding. It’s one of the country’s worst aviation disasters. NHK Wells Yoshisuka Minori takes a close look at the tragedy 7 months on at Muan International Airport which is currently closed due to ongoing investigations and repairs. Bereaved families have set up camp as they wait for answers and accountability. Immong who lost her daughter in the accident stays overnight here at least once a week. Sometimes I feel comforted, sometimes sad, but I want to come to the airport as often as possible and be with my daughter. Kim Yalin was a 30-year-old TV reporter. She was returning from a belated honeymoon in Thailand on that fateful day. Just before the crash, she sent a message to her mother. Im had no idea it would be her last. Foreign speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech. About two weeks before the accident, then President Yuno was suspended from office following impeachment. The leader’s absence created a political vacuum. Families of the crash victims gathered in front of the transport ministry to condemn the government and the airline company for acting slowly in identifying the cars and distributing compensation. They are urging officials to improve their investigations in fields. The society is becoming less interested in the tragedy. As time passes, we feel we are being ignored. We can’t be silent. Even after all this time, our feelings are not being considered. In late June, ministry officials visited the airport and held a briefing on the status of the investigation and compensation. They stopped short of announcing the cause of the crash. Im and other braved families said the session was pointless. We already knew everything they said. Why did we have to listen to that? In wants the truth to be revealed to prevent such an accident from happening again. I think all South Korean people are one bereaveved family because similar accidents could happen to anyone. And we are now joined by NHK World’s Yoshizuka Minor who covered this story. So minor we just heard the mother saying you know the the South Korea as a one big briefed family. How is the public responding to family’s activism? Well the fact is that many people in South Korea don’t know about their demonstrations and airport sitting. The media hasn’t really been following the aftermath. And it’s not just the lack of coverage but also the political vacuum that I mentioned in my report. The president has strong authority, but he was suspended from his duties. Many feel if that had not been the case, the investigation into the crash might have gone smoother. All right. Uh I understand the families are anxious to learn what exactly happened on that day and what caused the crash. Uh so Mori, what are the findings from the investigation so far? Yeah. Well, so far the findings are inconclusive. Investigators are looking at multiple factors. Bird strike, engine malfunction or wheel issue. But the investigation effort is hampered by the fact the recording of the fright data ceased 4 minutes before the crash. Another point is what happened after the belly landing and contact with a complete structure called localizer base. The local media and expert questioned the placement of the structure so close on the long way. It made the crash far more deadly. And Minori, last month, South Korea welcomed the new president, EJ. Jon, how do you think um he will deal with this situation? Well, uh Lee was quick to set up a meeting with the families of the crash victims and listen to their concerns. Lee apologized for the fact that many people lost their lives because the government failed to fulfill its duties. He stood up and bowed. It was a very rare gesture as the accident took place before his tenure. The Lee administration emphasizes it is committed to identifying the crash caused to prevent currents in South Korea. Hundreds of civilians have died due to accident in the past. In 2014, the passenger seat sank leaving about 300 people dead. And in 2022, a mass c crash in downtown soul on Halloween killed about 160 people. Yes, in most of these cases, a culture and efficiency and speed over safety measures seems to be in play. The question is whether the country will be able to build safer systems under the new administration.
In December 2024, a plane crashed at South Korea’s Muan airport, claiming 179 lives. But bereaved families are still waiting for answers and compensation. #asia #politics #crime #accident #southkorea
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