A victim of Aekyung Industrial's humidifier disinfectant products, which caused injuries and fatalities between 2002 and 2011, speaks during a protest at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, Dec. 26. The protest followed a Supreme Court ruling earlier that day overturning a previous decision, stating that it was difficult to attribute the victims' respiratory illnesses solely to the products. Yonhap

AK Holdings CEO Ko Joon / Courtesy of Aekyung Group

There are growing signs of a boycott against products manufactured by Aekyung Group, the parent company of Jeju Air, following the crash of one of its aircraft at Muan International Airport on Sunday, which claimed the lives of 179 people on board.

The boycott, fueled by public outrage over the incident and lingering cynicism surrounding an ongoing legal battle involving the group's humidifier disinfectant products — linked to a series of injuries and fatalities — poses a significant threat to the group's public image and future business prospects.

People have begun sharing information online about retail products manufactured by Aekyung's subsidiaries, urging others to boycott them. The products include cosmetics, haircare, dental care, hygiene, and home care items. Most of these products are made by Aekyung Industrial, which manufactures everyday household goods.

The movement is spreading fast across social networking platforms, including X.

"These are the brands of Aekyung Group, which owns Jeju Air," said a post on social media on Tuesday, accompanied by a montage of logos from dozens of brands, including 2080 toothpaste, Kerasys haircare, Trio kitchen cleaner, and LUNA cosmetics. The post urged viewers to boycott these products.

Public sentiment driving the boycott is multifaceted.

A major concern driving the boycott is the increasing suspicion that Jeju Air may have been overworking its planes while neglecting necessary maintenance. Investigators found that, during the third quarter, Jeju Air's flights accumulated a total of 418 service hours per month, far exceeding the monthly operating hours of other domestic carriers — both full-service and low-cost — by 63 to 83 hours. This revelation has sparked fears that the airline prioritized profit over the safety and well-being of its passengers.

The boycott was further fueled by the fact that it took Aekyung Group Chairwoman Chang Young-shin 11 hours to issue a statement of apology after the disaster occurred. Additionally, it was revealed that the statement was initially shared only with news reporters, rather than being directly addressed to the public.

Aekyung Industrial's ongoing legal battle with victims of its humidifier disinfectant products has also fueled the boycott. The case involves allegations that the products caused injuries to the lungs and other respiratory organs of 98 consumers between 2002 and 2011, 12 of whom ultimately died.

On Dec. 26, the Supreme Court sent the case back to the Seoul High Court, overturning a four-year prison term for the company's former CEO Ahn Yong-chan. At that time, the ruling said it was unclear whether the victims were affected solely by the disinfectants.

Aekyung Group jointly established Jeju Air with the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Government in 2005. The group's holding company, AK Holdings, holds the largest stake of 50.37 percent in the low-cost carrier (LCC). Following the global financial crisis in 2009, the group committed to the airline by selling off its underperforming duty-free business and reinvesting the proceeds into the carrier.

Jeju Air became a listed company in 2015, making it the first Korean LCC to go public. Since then, the company has maintained the largest market share in the country's budget carrier industry.

Among AK Group's five subsidiaries, Jeju Air has remained the most profitable. In 2023, the airline achieved sales of 1.72 trillion won ($1.17 billion) and an operating profit of 170 billion won. These earnings were higher than the combined profits of Aekyung Chemical and Aekyung Industrial, which achieved the second- and third-largest earnings, respectively, among the group's subsidiaries during the same period.