Problems ABOUT KOREA’S CRISIS MANAGEMENT Skills
Choi’s efficiency will be under severe scrutiny, and not only because of the continuing political crisis.
However, the South Korean government has a poor track record of handling crisis situations. Officials are slower to acknowledge the severity of the situation and deflect accountability in the wake of the horrifying 2022 Seoul Halloween masses crush, which is still a fresh wound. In 2014, the falling of the boat Sewol had seen a likewise poor management, both during and after the occasion.
The helicopter burst into flames after it belly-landed and slammed into a roof, which, according to some experts, shouldn’t have been at the end of the runway, according to a picture of the Jeju Air crash on Sunday.
There is also a dispute over whether the airport was long enough to allow secure flights, as it appears that provincial authorities have requested an extension of the airport for a number of years.
Based on the practice of previous catastrophes, one may expect an extreme blame game between the government, local authorities and air safety officials to start immediately.
The effects of the Jeju Air accident on South Korea’s continuing political crisis is still too early to be fully assessed. Acting President Choi’s term in office does increase by a few days because the opposition will likely be unwilling to remove him in the midst of national mourning. However, he won’t have much of a grace period.
The aftermath of the aircraft accident doesn’t require much political intervention, and from now on, an effective response can be made without him, unlike a large-scale natural disaster or war or a large-scale healthy disaster.
Although very traumatizing, the loss of trip 7C2216 does not necessarily alter South Korea’s ongoing political crisis, whose root lies in the impeached President Yoon’s fate.
Dylan Motin is a non-resident Kelly Fellow at the Pacific Forum and has a PhD in social research. He is the author of , Bandwagoning in International Relations: China, Russia, and Their Neighbors , ( Vernon Press, 2024 ).  ,