SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s police said Thursday they were seeking indictments of seven transport ministry officials over the 2024 Jeju Air crash that killed all but two of the 181 people on board.
The Boeing 737-800 operated by Jeju Air skidded off the runaway at Muan International Airport in southern South Korea after its landing gear failed to deploy, slamming into a concrete structure and bursting into flames.
Authorities have found traces of bird strike in the plane’s engines and the plane’s two black boxes stopped recording about four minutes before the crash. Many experts say the concrete structure, which housed a set of antennas called a localizer that guides aircraft during landings, must be blamed for the crash as well, as they should have been built with more easily breakable materials.
Police said Thursday the seven officials were involved in the production of media statements that stated the localizers were installed in accordance with relevant domestic and international regulations, though that was not true.
Police said they referred the cases to prosecutors, asking for the seven officials to be indicted on a criminal charge of falsifying official documents. The penalty upon conviction could be up to seven years in prison. The Transport Ministry said it had no comment on the police announcement.
Police said they were investigating nearly 70 other people, including those involved in installation of the localizers or operations of the Muan airport.
The crash was South Korea's deadliest aviation disaster since 1997. But no exact, formal cause of the crash has been announced and no one has been legally prosecuted yet.
Last year, the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board had planned to announce initial investigation results showing both of the plane's engines sustained bird strikes and the pilots turned off the less-damaged one just before the crash-landing. The initial finding, which implied human errors, drew vehement protests from bereaved families and fellow pilots who accused authorities of trying to shift responsibility to the dead pilots. The investigation board later canceled the announcement.
FILE - Rescue team members work at the site of a plane crash at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea on Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob was charged Thursday with failing to declare his assets, making him the nation's third leader to face criminal charges after leaving office.
Ismail, 66, pleaded not guilty to a charge under the anti-graft law that alleged he failed to provide a complete declaration of assets following a notice from the anti-corruption agency in January 2025. The charge sheet lists large amounts of cash in Malaysian and foreign currencies, as well as gold and silver.
If convicted, Ismail faces up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to 100,000 ringgit ($24,810).
Ismail, the country's ninth leader, unexpectedly became prime minister without a general election after emerging as a consensus figure during a turbulent political period. He was the shortest-serving leader, leading for only 15 months from August 2021 to November 2022.
After leaving office, Ismail has been questioned multiple times by anti-graft officials for possible misconduct involving millions of dollars spent on government publicity during his tenure. The anti-graft agency has also seized gold bars and some $40 million in cash from properties linked to him.
Defense lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad said Ismail has been released on bail. Ismail will seek to clear his name as the charges were “baseless and unfounded,” the lawyer told reporters. The case will next be heard on Sept 29 for prosecutors to provide further details to the defense, he added.
Ismail was initially due to be charged Aug. 7 but it was postponed after he was hospitalized and underwent a pacemaker procedure for a heart condition.
Ismail's indictment followed that of his two predecessors.
Former Prime Minister Najib Razak is serving a reduced six-year prison sentence after his conviction in a case tied to the multibillion-dollar looting of the 1MDB state investment fund. He was sentenced last year to a further 15 years’ imprisonment in his second and biggest graft trial linked to 1MDB, and still faces other proceedings.
Muhyiddin Yassin, who was the eight prime minister, is currently on trial over corruption and money-laundering charge.
Malaysia's former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, arrives at courthouse for a corruption case in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Malaysia's former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, left, arrives at courthouse for a corruption case in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Malaysia's former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, right, arrives at courthouse for a corruption case in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Malaysia's former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, center, arrives at courthouse for a corruption case in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Malaysia's former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, center, arrives at courthouse for a corruption case in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
