Muan plane crash Runway disaster tests political unity amid leadership crisis

As 2024 drew to a close, South Koreans must have hoped for respite from the political chaos visited on their country in recent weeks.

- By Raphael Rashid SEOUL and Justin McCurry TOKYO

It was going to take something out of the ordinary to overshadow last Friday's impeachment of Han Duck-soo, the second South Korean leader to be removed from office by parliament in a fortnight.

Last Sunday, the country was forced to confront the horrifying sight of a passenger aircraft careering along the tarmac before smashing into a wall and bursting into flames, killing at least 179 of the 181 people onboard.

The two events that will come to define 2024 for a country hitherto celebrated for its economic and cultural prowess are unrelated, of course, but it is impossible to ignore the political backdrop to last Sunday's tragedy on the runway at Muan international airport.

The incident has highlighted the potential risks posed to disaster response by instability at the highest level of government.

There were encouraging signs in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. South Korea's rival political parties launched separate initiatives in response to the disaster, apparently setting aside the animosity of recent weeks.

The opposition Democratic party leader, Lee Jae-myung, travelled to Muan to support rescue efforts.

The ruling People Power party, meanwhile, formed a taskforce focused on investigating the crash and supporting victims' families.