A South Korean police special investigation unit probing the December 29 passenger jet disaster has effectively extended its operations indefinitely after downsizing its team. The move pushes back the previously scheduled end of its activities as consultations with prosecutors drag on and the investigation prolongs.
According to the Korean National Police Agency on Monday, the special investigation unit on the December 29 passenger jet disaster has decided to further extend its operating period and continue the probe. The unit said it had "initially extended the operation period once until May 31, but extended it for a second time in consideration of the prosecutorial consultation process and the progress of the investigation."
The unit has been restructured around about 20 personnel, led by Senior Superintendent Han Dong-hoon, who previously headed the investigation team. The size of the unit has been roughly halved from the 48 personnel deployed when it was launched in January.
Police did not set a separate end date in this extension. The move is interpreted as effectively maintaining the special unit's framework until the investigation concludes.
The unit has so far focused its investigation on the cause of the passenger jet accident and whether related agencies' safety management was appropriate. However, given the scale of the case and the large number of related agencies and persons involved, considerable time is being spent on data analysis and legal review, sources said.
On the 29th of last month, the unit shared with prosecutors the status of its investigation, including a recommendation to indict 34 suspects and a plan for handling the custody of five others.
Prosecutors are conducting a legal review, taking into account that the final investigation results from the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board on aircraft defects and pilot error have not yet been released. However, the actual referral to prosecutors is expected to take more time.
The unit is also reportedly examining whether to apply charges of serious civic disaster under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act to key suspects, including former Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Park Sang-woo.
The unit is also investigating allegations that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport sought to downplay or cover up the facts in the early days of the disaster by announcing that the concrete embankment was not in violation of regulations.
