South Korean authorities on Saturday unexpectedly rescinded the release of an intermediate report concerning the tragic crash of a Jeju Air passenger jet, following protests from the victims' families at a news briefing. The confrontation arose after officials had initially shared updates privately with the families regarding the ongoing investigation. This report was set to unveil findings from the examination of the engines of the Boeing 737-800, which crashed on December 29, resulting in the death of 179 out of the 181 onboard.
A legal representative for the families, Pillkyu Hwang, criticized the investigators for appearing to absolve the engines of any fault while implying blame on birds that collided with the engines shortly before the emergency landing, and on the pilots without a comprehensive analysis. "The families did not receive a sufficient explanation," Hwang declared. He indicated that the preliminary report seemed to assign responsibility to deceased birds as well as the pilots, urging that such sensitive information should be communicated with care.
A statement from the relatives emphasized their belief that the report's presentation suggested that final decisions had been made regarding the crash analysis, even though the investigation was still ongoing. Many family members voiced concerns that the report might be misinterpreted by the media, presenting a finalized conclusion prematurely.
