South Korea investigates email claiming to have caused Jeju Air plane crash

South Korean police will launch an international investigation into an email from Japan claiming responsibility for the deadly Jeju Air crash.

According to Yonhap, South Korean police began an investigation on January 6 after a Justice Ministry official received an email from a person claiming to be a Japanese lawyer. The email was sent after the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crashed at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province on December 29.

Debris of a Jeju Air plane skidded off the runway and fell at Muan International Airport in Muan (South Korea) on December 30, 2024.

The email also contained a threat to detonate large-scale bombs in several metropolitan areas of South Korea. "We plan to ask the Japanese police for cooperation through Interpol and pursue international criminal justice cooperation through diplomatic channels," an official from the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) said.

The KNPA suspects that the latest email threat may have been carried out by the same perpetrator who sent similar packages to South Korean organizations in August 2003. The KNPA said it was also investigating 126 malicious online comments about Jeju Air crash victims and their families.

Unknown cause of tragic plane crash in Korea

Previously, South Korean investigators initially hypothesized that the plane hit a bird and damaged the engine that powered the landing gear, causing it to fail to deploy and forcing the plane to land on its belly. After skidding at high speed, the plane hit a mound of dirt at the end of the runway and an adjacent airport fence, exploding.

On January 6, the South Korean government announced the completion of the handover of all 179 bodies of the Jeju Air crash victims to their families and loved ones. Acting South Korean Interior Minister Ko Ki-dong said search and rescue efforts at the crash site were in the final stages.

Mr. Ko added that the government will “continue to provide support after the funeral.” The South Korean government is conducting safety inspections on all 101 Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by six domestic airlines following the Jeju Air crash.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/han-quoc-dieu-tra-email-nhan-trach-nhiem-ve-vu-tai-nan-may-bay-cua-nhat-ban-1852501061717102.htm