The South Korean government pauses the release of crucial crash findings after protests from grieving families who felt unfairly targeted.
South Korea Halts Jeju Air Crash Report Amid Family Outcry

South Korea Halts Jeju Air Crash Report Amid Family Outcry
Families of victims express outrage as officials cancel report citing unprepared blame on pilots.
South Korean authorities have made a surprising move to suspend the public release of an interim report investigating the tragic crash of a Jeju Air passenger plane that occurred on December 29, resulting in 179 deaths out of 181 aboard. This decision was taken following a backlash from the victims' families during a tumultuous press conference where they criticized the report for prematurely attributing blame to the pilots.
Tensions escalated as officials conducted a private meeting with the families to share insights from the ongoing investigation. Reports indicated an emphasis on engine integrity, concluding they had been functioning properly despite a bird strike prior to the aircraft's emergency landing. The families’ attorney, Pillkyu Hwang, accused the investigators of hastily shifting responsibility from the plane's mechanics to the birds and the crew, saying, “It puts all the blame on the dead birds and the dead pilots."
Mr. Hwang stressed that the families lacked sufficient clarification about the findings presented and expressed concerns that the report could mislead the public and news outlets into thinking the investigation had drawn final conclusions prematurely. Readings from the worried relatives emphasized the need for a thorough and cautious portrayal of ongoing investigative work to avoid unnecessary distress and misinterpretation during this sensitive period.