South Korean president vows to reveal truth on anniversary of Jeju Air crash

"As president who has the responsibility to protect the lives and safety of the people, I offer my deepest apologies," Lee said in a message released on Monday.

Relatives of the victims have demanded answers about the accident, after investigators delayed releasing a report on what went wrong on December 29, 2024, when the Jeju Air jet crash-landed and slammed into an embankment at the end of the runway.

It erupted in a ball of flames, killing all but two of the 181 people on board. The government-led Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board said in a preliminary report in January that both of the plane's engines sustained bird strikes.

But questions remain about safety lapses, the design of the runway at Muan International Airport where the crash occurred and what actions the pilots took in the last few minutes of the flight.

"The disaster clearly revealed the systematic problems and limitations of our society," Lee said. "What's needed now is not perfunctory promises or empty words but rather real change and action."

Parliament has been reviewing a plan to overhaul the aircraft accident investigation board to ensure independence and greater expertise.

Relatives of the victims are scheduled to hold a memorial service later on Monday at Muan International Airport in the country's southwest to mark the anniversary.