On December 29, 2024, a Jeju Air passenger plane crash at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province claimed the lives of 179 out of 181 people on board. Police have booked 45 individuals on charges of professional negligence resulting in death and injury and are continuing their investigation, while also considering the possibility of applying the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

The accident occurred when Jeju Air flight 7C2216 (Boeing 737-800), which departed from Bangkok, Thailand, attempted to land at Muan International Airport and collided with a localizer (azimuth guidance facility) in the form of a concrete mound near the runway. The passenger plane exploded, and only two crew members survived with injuries.

The Special Investigation Division for the December 29 Passenger Plane Crash, under the National Investigation Headquarters of the Korean National Police Agency, identified items requiring further verification during the data analysis process and executed search and seizure warrants on the Korea Airports Corporation, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the Busan Regional Aviation Administration starting at 9:00 a.m. on July 11. The purpose is to secure additional materials related to the charges of professional negligence resulting in death and injury.

The Special Investigation Division had previously conducted search and seizure operations in March and June targeting four officials from the Aviation Satellite Policy Division and the Airport Operations Division of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. This latest action is understood to be a follow-up investigative procedure aimed at further clarifying the facts based on the data collected so far.

Police plan to focus on determining where responsibility lies among the relevant organizations and identifying the cause of the accident, based on the materials secured in this search and seizure operation.