Jeju Air Crash: Former Korean Airport President Found Dead

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SEOUL- Son Chang-wan, former president of Korea Airports Corporation, was discovered dead in his Gunpo residence on Tuesday evening (January 21, 2025), local police reported.

The investigation revealed no evidence of murder or external intrusion, with authorities characterizing the death as an apparent suicide.

Photo: byeangel | Flickr

Korean Airport Ex-President Found Dead

Son led Korea Airports Corporation from 2018 to 2022, a period during which renovation of Muan International Airport (MWX) commenced in 2020. This airport was the site of the devastating Jeju Air (7C) crash on December 29, which resulted in 179 fatalities.

Despite overseeing the airport during the renovation period, Son was not currently under investigation by the Jeonnam Provincial Police regarding the aircraft incident.

The government-owned Korea Airports Corporation, which manages more than a dozen airports nationwide, declined to issue an official statement, describing Son’s death as a personal matter.

Image via AP

Critical Airport Safety Infrastructure Concerns

The catastrophic Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 crash at Muan International Airport exposed significant safety infrastructure vulnerabilities in South Korean aviation. The Boeing 737-800 skidded into a concrete wall housing an antenna array, resulting in an explosion that killed 179 of 181 passengers and crew members.

This incident represents the worst aviation disaster in South Korean history and the deadliest global aviation accident since the 2018 Lion Air Flight 610 crash. The concrete wall’s design has become a focal point of investigation, with safety experts questioning the structural integrity of airport navigation infrastructure.

Korea Airports Corporation’s safety standards face intense scrutiny. Critics argue that a more breakable mounting system could have mitigated the disaster’s severity. Government officials maintain that the structure initially complied with existing safety regulations.

A transportation ministry inspection revealed that seven national airports, including Muan, failed to meet current safety standards. Responding to these findings, the ministry announced comprehensive infrastructure upgrades, including replacing the existing concrete structure with a more destructible alternative.

Planned improvements include transitioning localizer structures to lighter steel configurations and expanding runway safety zones to a minimum of 790 feet. The Muan runway will remain closed until mid-April to facilitate these critical safety enhancements.

Photo: Aero Icarus | Flickr

Global Investigations

An international investigative team comprising aviation officials from South Korea, the United States, and Boeing has commenced examining the Jeju Air crash. Their investigation faces immediate obstacles, with a flight recorder failing minutes before the catastrophic incident.

Parallel to the technical investigation, South Korean police have initiated a separate inquiry. As part of their investigative measures, authorities have imposed a travel restriction on Jeju Air’s chief executive, preventing the executive from leaving the country.

The multi-agency investigation aims to uncover the precise circumstances surrounding the devastating crash that claimed 179 lives. The failure of critical flight recording equipment presents a significant challenge to understanding the exact sequence of events leading to the accident.

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