(Editorial) Muan Airport disaster… Sad and sad | Donga Ilbo

A Jeju Air plane from Bangkok, Thailand, which was about to land at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do, veered off the runway on the morning of the 29th, struck a wall at the end of the airport, and exploded. In this accident, 179 of 181 passengers died and 2 were rescued. It is the worst accident in history since the 1997 Korean Air plane crash in Guam, in which 229 people were killed. The entire country was deeply saddened by the tragic accident.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the plane in this accident requested the emergency rescue signal ‘Mayday’ two minutes after hearing the warning to watch out for bird collisions. Then, it changed direction and attempted to land, but the landing gear did not unfold, so it made an emergency landing on the fuselage, and in the process, it ran off the runway and crashed into a wall. The plane exploded with a loud noise and was completely destroyed with only the tail remaining.

The aircraft model involved in this accident was a Boeing 737-800 (B738). Considering the records of communication with the control tower, the testimony of residents who witnessed the accident and the surviving crew members, and messages left by passengers, it is estimated that this accident was most likely caused by a collision with a flock of birds and damage to the landing gear. However, given that there were reports that the plane in question had an engine failure two days before the accident, and that the manual landing gear also did not work, the possibility of a defect in the aircraft cannot be ruled out.

Muan International Airport was filled with the cries of bereaved families. The heartbreaking stories of those who suffered the disaster are told, including a couple going on their first overseas trip with their 3-year-old son, six sisters going on a Christmas trip, and a newlywed couple who had been married for 16 days. Two Thai people were also included. It is difficult to fathom the feelings of the bereaved family who were separated forever due to a ‘lightning accident’ just before the happy reunion with their beloved family.

The people watching this accident also feel sad and anxious at the same time. Prime Minister Han Deok-soo, who was acting president following President Yoon Seok-yeol, was suspended from office after the impeachment bill was passed, and a major accident occurred in the acting system taken over by Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Choi, has been activated, but the position of Minister of Public Administration and Security, the disaster response department, is vacant. There are concerns about whether the disaster control tower will function properly in a situation where the political situation is experiencing severe chaos.

Our society vividly remembers the tragedy of the Itaewon disaster in 2022. Before the wounds of the tragedy caused by the government’s poor response could heal, another major disaster occurred. In the face of such a disaster, the ruling and opposition parties must work together and the government must do its best to ensure that there is no administrative vacuum. Even in the midst of a national crisis, we must not be negligent in protecting the safety of the people.