[News Today] Parliament probe into Jeju Air crash

[LEAD]
A parliamentary probe into the Jeju Air crash has officially begun. Lawmakers are zeroing in on a concrete embankment believed to have played a critical role in the disaster. But officials said there are no remaining records and no one knows who ordered its installation, drawing sharp criticism over a lack of accountability.

[REPORT]
Simulation results have shown that all 179 people killed in the Jeju Air crash could have survived if there had been no concrete embankment.

But no one has provided an answer to who installed the embankment and for what reason.

Lee Jin-cheol / Head of Busan Regional Office of Aviation
We were unable to find records on why the order was given or whether there was an order at all.

A support base included in the initial design in 1999 changed into the form of a concrete mound during construction in 2003.

And a 30-centimeter thick upper slab was added during renovation work in early 2024.

Despite these three opportunities to fix the structure, no improvement was made on the mound.

Even after the accident, the transport ministry insisted the presence of the mound was not a breach of regulations.

Even in the recent simulation report, the investigation board stopped short of identifying regulatory violations and only concluded that the renovation work two years ago had no impact on the accident.

Kim Eun-hye / People Power Party
The renovation was a chance to improve it but pouring more concrete made it worse. The investigation board turned a blind eye to this.

One year since the disaster, there is still no person responsible identified or related materials presented relating to the problematic concrete mound.

The transport minister even raised his voice when criticized for the ministry's insufficient internal investigation.

Suh Cheon-ho / People Power Party
Aren't you even curious?

Kim Yun-duk / Transport Minister
I really am, to the point of going mad.

There's also criticism that failure to disclose data even to bereaved families is showing distrust.

Jeong Jun-ho / Democratic Party
They haven't properly received documents from the delayed public hearing in advance.

Meanwhile, transport minister Kim Yun-duk has acknowledged for the first time that the concrete mound localizer system violated installation regulations.

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