- Neglecting the Dec 29 Disaster for 1 Year and 8 Months… 80% Plunge in Sales and 25.1 Billion Won Deficit
- "Waiting would be too late" in Response to Bereaved Families' Demand for Overseas Investigation… Controversy Over 'Putting the Cart Before the Horse'
- Zero Indicted Officials Yet Rushing Patchwork 'Speed Battle' Under the Pretext of Economic Impact
- Criticized as a 'Showcase Event' to Cover Up Isolation Caused by Incompetent State Affairs
President Lee Jae-myung, who has driven the regional economy to the brink of a precipice by abandoning Muan International Airport for 1 year and 8 months following the December 29 Jeju Air disaster, is facing fierce criticism after ordering a reckless 'speed battle to reopen' before the truth-finding process has even concluded. Critics are pouring in, calling it a dangerous idea to cover up the state's fundamental duty to thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident with economic logic.
During the 34th Cabinet meeting held on the 4th, President Lee mentioned the prolonged closure of Muan Airport and stated, "If we wait for all accident investigations to be completed, the reopening will be excessively delayed." He then ordered the immediate concurrent restoration work on the localizer (azimuth facility), which is currently being preserved at the site. This is a clear case of 'putting the cart before the horse,' prioritizing administrative achievements over uncovering the truth, especially at a time when bereaved families are strongly demanding an objective investigation by an overseas specialized agency regarding the black box analysis.
There is a prevailing analysis that President Lee's urging and commanding directives are a typical attempt to 'shirk responsibility' in order to cover up the disastrous economic scorecard resulting from wasting 1 year and 8 months of precious time.
According to Korea Airports Corporation statistics, Muan Airport's sales last year plummeted by over 80% year-on-year to 1.2 billion won, while its operating deficit snowballed from 19.6 billion won in 2024 to 25.1 billion won in 2025. While the regional economy was on the verge of withering away, the government sat idly by with incompetence, only to belatedly resort to 'showcase patchwork prescriptions' once the massive deficit statistics became visible.
What is even more serious is that the process of holding people legally accountable has collapsed miserably. Not a single person in charge has been indicted since the disaster. Police investigations have stalled under the pretext of the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Commission's report, and even the recovery of remains—a scar of the disaster—is expected to finish only in late August, creating a state of total failure.
Some members of the local community and tourism industry have expressed cold cynicism, saying, "It is absurd that after closing the airport indefinitely under the pretext of investigation without a single countermeasure, they are now pressuring to open the airport doors first while skipping the bereaved families' demands to uncover the truth." Public suspicion is growing over who President Lee Jae-myung's hasty administration is really for, as he forces a 'speed battle' while pushing the fundamental investigation of the disaster's responsibility to the back burner.