Funerals underway for plane crash victims

SEOUL, January 02 (AJP) - Funerals for the victims of a plane crash in southwestern South Korea are underway, as all the victims' bodies were identified on Wednesday. The first funeral for a victim was held in Gwangju on Thursday, nearly a week after the fatal crash of a Jeju Air flight at Muan International Airport which claimed 179 lives last Sunday. So far, the bodies and other remains of about 20 victims have been handed over to their bereaved families, with fune

January 2, 2025

Police launch investigation into fatal airplane crash

SEOUL, January 2 (AJP) - Police have launched a criminal investigation into Sunday’s airplane crash, executing search warrants at multiple locations as bereaved families began holding the first funeral services for victims. All but two of the 181 people aboard the Jeju Air passenger jet died after the plane crashed while landing at Muan International Airport. Investigators on Thursday raided offices at the airport, the Busan Regional Aviation Administration’s Muan bra

January 2, 2025

Investigators poised to arrest Yoon

SEOUL, January 2 (AJP) - The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) is seeking to arrest President Yoon Suk Yeol as early as Thursday. An arrest warrant over Yoon's botched martial law attempt last month was issued earlier this week and it will remain valid until next Monday, suggesting that the CIO's investigators will take actions in the next few days. With a search warrant also in hand, they are also expected to search for any remaining eviden

January 2, 2025

Acting president appoints two justices from three nominees to Constitutional Court

SEOUL, December 31 (AJP) - Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Tuesday appointed two justices out of three nominees to fill vacancies at the Constitutional Court of Korea. During a Cabinet meeting in Seoul, Choi said he decided to appoint Cho Han-chang, a nominee recommended by the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and Jeong Gye-seon, another nominee proposed by the main opposition Democratic Party (DP). "I decided to appoint the two justices to urgently resolve political uncert

December 31, 2024

New Year's celebrations scaled down in mourning for plane crash victims amid political turmoil

SEOUL, December 31 (AJP) - Various events and festivals scheduled for New Year's Eve have been either canceled or scaled down as South Korea observes a mourning period this week, following last Sunday's fatal crash of a Jeju Air flight in Muan, South Jeolla Province. The tragic accident further dampened the festive mood just ahead of ushering in the Year of the Wood Snake, as the country is weathering political turmoil, after a motion to impeach President Yoon Seok Yeol was

December 31, 2024

Arrest warrant issued for Yoon over martial law debacle

SEOUL, December 31 (AJP) - A court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol over his aborted martial law debacle earlier this month. This is the first time in the country's history that an arrest warrant has been issued for an incumbent president. The Seoul Western District Court approved the arrest warrant requested by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) against him on charges of insurrection and abuse of power as Yoon

December 31, 2024

What caused fatal crash of Jeju Air flight?

SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - A Jeju Air flight exploded during a landing attempt at an airport in southwestern South Korea on Sunday, claiming 179 lives. The deadliest disaster in the country's aviation history has sparked widespread speculation, just ahead of a full-scale investigation to determine why the plane crashed into the runway and what led to the failure of its landing gear. The passenger plane, which departed from Bangkok, crashed while attempting an emergency landing at Muan

December 30, 2024

Quiet acts of kindness, solidarity emerge at plane crash site

SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - A gesture of solidarity that gained prominence during protests against President Yoon Suk Yeol has quietly extended to the scene of South Korea’s most devastating aviation tragedy in years. On Monday morning, a handwritten sign appeared at a cafe near Gate 4 on the second floor of Muan International Airport, offering solace to the grieving: “Volunteers and bereaved families, please enjoy an Americano or cafe latte. It’s prepaid.”

December 30, 2024

Jimmy Carter's complex legacy on Korean Peninsula

SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - Throughout his career as both president and private citizen, Jimmy Carter maintained a complex and sometimes contentious relationship with the Korean Peninsula, challenging South Korea's military government over human rights and engaging in unprecedented diplomacy with North Korea. Carter, the 39th U.S. president (1977–1981), died on Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia, at the age of 100. During his presidency, Carter's campaign promise

December 30, 2024

About 140 victims identified in fatal plane crash as efforts to verify remaining passengers continue

SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - The bodies of around 140 victims from a Jeju Air plane that crashed in southwestern South Korea on Sunday were identified on Monday, while efforts to verify the remaining victims continue. Most of their identities were confirmed through fingerprint recognition. The deadly crash carrying 181 people exploded while attempting to land at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province the previous day, claiming 179 lives and leaving two survivors. Rescu

December 30, 2024