According to a report released by the Korean Audit and Inspection Agency on March 11, 2026, the country's Ministry of Transportation has allowed the construction of some airport infrastructure structures that have not fully met safety standards for more than 20 years - SCMP reported.
The audit report shows that the South Korean Ministry of Transport has cut construction costs and approved inappropriate airport safety items for more than 2 decades, related to the plane crash that killed 179 people.
The conclusion was drawn after an investigation related to the plane crash of Jeju Air (Korea) on December 29, 2024.
The accident happened to a Boeing 737-800 aircraft at Muan International Airport (South Korea). The plane collided with a bird when landing and was forced to land on its belly.
After landing, the plane skidded off the runway, hitting a concrete block over 2m high, killing almost all passengers and crew. Out of a total of 181 people on board, 179 died, only 2 flight attendants at the tail of the plane survived.
According to the auditing agency, this concrete block is a dyke about 2.4m high used to place landing positioning equipment, also known as the localiser system - a part of the navigation system to help aircraft approach the runway.
The report said that the Ministry of Transport has allowed the construction of concrete embankments to reduce excavation and embankment costs, but has not fully assessed the relevant aviation safety regulations.
The auditing agency believes that this design may increase the risk in case the aircraft slips off the runway, because hard structures such as concrete can cause more serious damage than soft or fragile safety solutions according to international standards.
The report also said that for many years, the Korean traffic management agency has not fully inspected safety items at some airports, and at the same time allowed the maintenance of structures that pose a risk to aircraft.
After the accident, the South Korean government conducted a review of safety systems at many airports nationwide, especially works and equipment located near runways.
The Jeju Air accident is considered one of the most serious aviation disasters in South Korea in recent years.
