Airport Safety Failures Exposed After Deadly Crash

A state audit has uncovered systemic safety lapses within South Korea's transport ministry, which allegedly cut construction costs and approved inadequate airport safety structures for more than two decades. These findings emerged following a fatal Jeju Air crash in December 2025, where a bird strike led to a runway overrun and a collision with a localiser antenna support.

The Board of Audit and Inspection reported that the ministry built a 2.4-meter high concrete embankment at Muan airport to reduce costs, disregarding international standards that require such structures to be frangible. This improperly approved installation, along with 13 others at eight different airports, was certified for operating permits and inspections that erroneously found compliance with safety standards for up to 22 years.