After the "partial amendment to the Act on Investigation of Aviation and Railway Accidents (Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Act)," prompted by the Muan Airport disaster, passed the National Assembly's plenary session, the Korea Pilots' Union Federation (the federation) expressed its welcome. It was also found that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport did not disclose that there was a concrete berm on the runway at Muan Airport.
On the 16th, the federation issued an official statement, saying this was "the result of about nine years of discussions since the first proposal in 2017," and stated accordingly.
It added that "this is a meaningful turning point to institutionally reinforce the long-awaited goal pursued since the first proposal—'independence of the aviation and railway accident investigation body.'"
Earlier, the National Assembly held a plenary session the previous day and passed the partial amendment to the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Act. The amendment provides for establishing the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Committee under the prime minister and ensuring it performs its duties independently without external orders or interference during investigations.
The federation argued that the committee's structure, placed under the influence of a secretariat chief seconded from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), undermines independence and fairness. It also said that an investigative system that broadly brings in outside civilian experts on a temporary basis when accidents occur is essential.
The federation said, "This is a realistic alternative that both supplements insufficient investigative capabilities and prevents budget inefficiencies from permanent staffing increases," adding, "Expanding participation by civilian Researchers is not a choice but a necessity. A transparent investigative structure in which all stakeholders participate, as with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in the United States, must be established."
It continued, "Since no major accidents have occurred for a long period after the 2011 Asiana cargo plane crash, this is a crucial golden time to fundamentally improve the investigative system," adding, "The prime minister's office should comprehensively overhaul statutes and subordinate regulations and make a responsible decision so the body can be reborn as a truly independent accident investigation organization."
Meanwhile, according to the office of Jeon Jin-suk of the Democratic Party of Korea the previous day, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) did not provide Jeju Air and the pilots with information about a concrete berm (a localizer, a facility providing bearing). The federation said the disaster worsened because MOLIT did not manage the localizer as an obstacle and therefore did not transmit the information.
A federation official said, "The pilot at the time thought the berm at the end of the runway was a pile of dirt and kept the center," adding, "None of the pilots knew it was a concrete berm."