South Korea to improve concrete barricades after tragic Jeju Air crash

The Muan airport will remain closed until January 19 following the tragic Jeju Air crash, South Korea also plans to improve concrete landing structures at seven airports

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The wreckage of the Jeju Air aircraft that went off the runway and crashed at Muan International Airport lies near a concrete structure it crashed into, in Muan, South Korea, on December 30, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Published: 4:53pm, 13 Jan 2025Updated: 5:53pm, 13 Jan 2025

South Korea’s government has decided to extend the shutdown of the Muan international airport where a Jeju Air passenger jet crashed last month to January 19, the transport ministry said on Monday.

The airport is the site of the investigation into the December 29 crash of the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 jet that killed 179 passengers on board.

The country also plans to improve the structures housing the antenna that guide landings at its airports this year following December’s fatal crash, which skidded off the runway and burst into flames after hitting such a structure.

The transport ministry, which has been inspecting safety conditions at airlines and airports since the Boeing 737-800 jet crashed at the southwestern Muan airport, announced the move to change “localiser” structures on Monday.

Firefighters remove tarpaulin sheets covering the debris of a Jeju Air passenger plane at Muan International Airport in Muan, southwestern South Korea, on January 13, 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE/Yonhap

“Improvement was deemed necessary including the localiser and its foundations for a total of nine facilities across seven airports, including Muan airport,” the land ministry said in a statement.