What Happened
Ministry Faces Criticism For Cutting Corners On Safety Structures
A state audit has revealed that South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has been cutting corners on airport safety structures for over two decades, including the construction of a concrete mound at Muan International Airport without proper risk assessment. The audit found that the ministry approved 14 non-compliant localizer installations at eight airports, and that the rigid structure exacerbated the severity of the Jeju Air crash, which claimed 179 lives. The ministry has pledged to take strict follow-up measures, but challenges remain, including unfinished improvements to localizers at three airports. The report was first published by AeroTime.