Officials inspect the embarkment where an engine from the crashed 737-800 is lodged, at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, Friday. (Yonhap)
Officials inspect the embarkment where an engine from the crashed 737-800 is lodged, at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, Friday. (Yonhap)

South Korean police continued search efforts into a second day, conducting a raid at Muan International Airport’s offices in South Jeolla Province, as part of the investigation into the Jeju Air crash that claimed 179 lives.

With the raid now exceeding 24 hours, the Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency’s special investigation unit focused on securing operational documents related to the flight, including communication logs, maintenance records on the aircraft and details about the controversial localizer’s concrete embankment.

Authorities have been scrutinizing the appropriateness of the concrete embankment near the localizer, which has been blamed for exacerbating the crash’s impact, as well as communication between the control tower and the pilot, especially regarding bird activity warnings and emergency procedures.

The aircraft’s delayed departure from Bangkok and whether maintenance or undetected defects contributed to the emergency landing attempt are also under investigation. The investigation will examine any potential bird strike, its role in the landing gear failure and whether emergency landing protocols were followed properly.

Police also raided the Busan Regional Office of Aviation's Muan branch and Jeju Air’s Seoul headquarters on Thursday, wrapping up those searches after five hours and 10 hours, respectively.

Search warrants were issued under suspicions of gross negligence resulting in death or injury. Investigators aim to uncover whether proper maintenance and inspections were conducted on the aircraft and whether the emergency response to the bird strike and subsequent “mayday” declaration was handled correctly.

Two key figures from Jeju Air, including CEO Kim E-bae, have been banned from leaving the country as critical witnesses in the investigation.