South Korea has marked the one-year anniversary of the Jeju Air crash tragedy that killed 179 people on December 29, 2024.
Families of the deceased and officials gathered for a memorial service at Muan International Airport (MWX) on December 29, 2025, in an effort to commemorate the victims, comfort the bereaved and reaffirm commitments to identifying the cause of the crash.
The ceremony began at 09:03, local time, the exact time that the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 collided with an embankment during an emergency landing.
The main remembrance service featured floral tributes and the screening of a memorial video along with speeches by attendees and a video message from South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
“I know no words can fully offer comfort. As the president entrusted with protecting the lives and safety of the people, I offer my deepest apology,” said President Lee Jae Myung.
#SouthKorea President Lee Jae Myung offered his deep apologies Monday over the fatal Jeju Air plane crash that claimed 179 lives a year ago, pledging a credible probe into key questions surrounding the tragic crash. #JejuAirPlane
By Lu Xinghai pic.twitter.com/cIQRJpdnPH— CCTV Asia Pacific (@CCTVAsiaPacific) December 29, 2025
In a separate statement on December 29, 2025, President Lee Jae Myung vowed to support the strengthening of the independence and expertise of the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB).
He also promised to hold those responsible for the crash accountable and said that the best way to honor the victims was to ensure such tragedy never happens again.
Two people onboard the Jeju flight survived the air accident which saw the aircraft land on its belly and overshot the runway before crashing into a localizer structure.
On December 22, 2025, the Korean National Assembly voted to approve an independent cross-party investigation into the country’s worst ever aviation disaster.
The special committee will comprise 18 members, including nine from the Democratic Party of Korea, seven from the People Power Party, and two from non-negotiating groups.
A preliminary report released in January 2025, pointed to bird strikes as the likely cause of the deadly crash on December 29, 2024.
In July 2025, the Railway Accident Investigation Board said in an interim report that the Jeju Air crash may have resulted from the pilot mistakenly shutting down the wrong engine after a bird strike.
With the right engine already powerless due to the bird strike, shutting down the left engine caused a complete loss of thrust, leaving the crew with no available power.
The committee investigation will look into the cause of the crash and where the responsibility lies for the disaster.
