The Korean National Assembly has voted to approve a cross-party investigation into the Jeju Air crash that killed 179 people when a Boeing 737-800 collided with an embankment at Muan International Airport (MWX) during an emergency landing.
The plan to launch an independent investigation was approved by 245 votes to one on December 22, 2025, with the probe set to start immediately for a period of 40 days, with the possibility of extension.
The independent 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, into had pointed to bird strikes as the likely cause of the deadly crash on December 29, 2024.
In July 2025, the Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) 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.
The probe will also ask whether the risk of bird strikes at the airport was underestimated and whether any of the aircraft engines or any other parts were defected.
Another area of investigation will be the design, construction, and management of the Muan Airport concrete localizer structure.
Significantly, the probe will also determine whether there were attempts by government agencies to downplay or cover up the incident during the investigation.
Families of the victims have long raised opposition to the government investigation and called for an independent probe.
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 the localizer structure.