South Korea to remove concrete walls near runways after deadly Jeju Air crash

The concrete structure holds a navigation system that assists aircraft landings – known as a localiser. South Korea’s transport ministry had said this system could also be found in other airports in the country and even overseas.

Safety inspectors have now identified nine of these systems, which they say need to be altered. These include the systems at Muan and Jeju International Airport which is the country’s second-largest airport.

They are looking to either replace the concrete bases with more lightweight structures or bury them underground.

Officials added that Muan International Airport’s existing concrete mounds would be removed entirely and the localiser “reinstalled using breakable structures”.

Following the crash, it emerged that an operating manual from Muan International Airport, uploaded early in 2024, had said the concrete embankment was too close to the end of the runway.

The document, prepared by Korea Airports Corp, had recommended the location of the equipment be reviewed during a planned expansion.

Chris Kingswood, a pilot with 48 years’ experience who has flown the same type of aircraft involved in the crash, previously told the BBC that “obstacles within a certain range and distance of the runway are required to be frangible, which means that if an aircraft strikes them that they do break.