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One Year After Jeju Air Flight 2216 Crash, South Korea Still Has No Official Cause

Families press for an independent probe under a new board expected to launch early 2026.

Overview

  • Authorities have not issued a definitive finding on the Jan. 3, 2025 Muan Airport disaster that killed 179 of 181 people on board, leaving the case officially open.
  • An interim briefing that pointed to a mistaken engine shutdown by the pilot was withdrawn after families objected to its fairness and the board’s perceived conflicts.
  • Investigators found bird remains in the engines and sent both engines to CFM International in France for analysis, but results have not yielded a comprehensive conclusion.
  • Police searched Jeju Air’s Seoul office and questioned more than 50 people, including the CEO, senior executives and Muan air-traffic staff, with no indictments to date.
  • Runway-safety upgrades lag nationwide, with only the Pohang Gyeongju and Gwangju airports completing berm replacements and work at Muan yet to begin, according to the Transport Ministry.