SOUTH KOREA – South Korea have launched a new Jeju Air crash investigation in the 2024 plane crash that killed 179.

A special parliamentary committee comprised of 18 members of the National Assembly began the investigation, which will run for at least 40 days.

The committee plans to look closely into factors that may have caused the crash, including a bird strike and possible aircraft defects.

It will also examine whether any attempts were made to cover up facts in the government’s investigation into the crash.

On Dec. 29, 179 out of the 181 passengers on board a Jeju Air flight 2216 from Bangkok were killed when the plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Muan International Airport, located 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Seoul, and overshot the runway, hitting a concrete barrier and catching fire.

Only two crew members survived.

Family members of the victims have expressed opposition against the government investigation, raising questions about its transparency and credibility and calling for an independent probe.