Families of victims from last December’s catastrophic Jeju Air crash have filed a sweeping criminal complaint against 15 individuals, including South Korea’s transport minister and Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae, accusing them of professional negligence leading to one of the nation’s deadliest aviation disasters.
The complaint, submitted by 72 bereaved relatives, demands accountability for the December 29 crash, which claimed 179 lives out of the 181 passengers and crew on board. The Boeing 737-800 belly-landed without deploying landing gear at Muan International Airport and erupted into flames, just minutes after the pilots reported a bird strike and issued a mayday.
“This was not a simple accident,” the families stated. “It was a major civic disaster caused by negligent management of preventable risks.” They criticized the slow pace of investigations and called for a comprehensive probe into the circumstances surrounding the crash, including air traffic control procedures, runway construction, and bird strike prevention measures.
Despite an earlier criminal investigation and a travel ban imposed on CEO Kim E-bae, no indictments have been made. Tuesday’s complaint intensifies scrutiny of both the airline and government regulators.
Relatives like Kim Da-hye voiced frustration over the lack of progress: “We are filled with deep anger and despair. Filing this complaint is an extraordinary measure, but we will not give up—we are committed to uncovering the truth.”
Among the accused are airline executives, government officials, airport staff, and individuals responsible for oversight, facility management, and bird control. The crash has also led to secondary trauma for the victims’ families, many of whom have faced a barrage of online hate, conspiracy theories, and defamation—prompting eight arrests earlier this year.
Investigators have confirmed the presence of bird feathers in both engines but have yet to determine the bird strike’s full role in the crash. As the families seek justice, public pressure mounts on South Korean authorities to ensure full accountability in a tragedy many believe could—and should—have been avoided.
