Government Announces 22 Names, List Differs from Fire Authorities
Lack of Communication and Updates to Families on Accident Response Criticized
Government officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced the list of 22 identified deceased persons in the first-floor waiting room of Muan International Airport at around 3:30 PM on the 29th. Photo by Min Chanki
Regarding the Jeju Air passenger plane carrying 181 passengers that crashed while landing at Muan International Airport, the families of the passengers strongly criticized the government's response to the accident and the lack of communication.
On the afternoon of the 29th, around 3:30 PM, government officials including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport held a briefing in the first-floor lobby of Muan International Airport, announcing the names of 22 confirmed deceased victims.
Each time a victim's name was called, cries and sighs erupted from the bereaved families throughout the lobby. When all 22 names were announced, there was confusion because the list differed from the five names previously released by the fire authorities. It was pointed out that the absence of a control tower for the government's accident response was causing communication failures even internally.
A family member of a passenger, identified as A, protested, "Why are the five people whose identities were supposedly confirmed earlier not on the list just released? Shouldn't there be a clear explanation for why the newly announced list is different from the previous one?"
The families also expressed frustration with the communication methods. They requested to be informed about the rescue situation and the identities of those confirmed, as well as other updates related to the accident response, but there was no clear response, and the promised hourly briefings were not being kept.
One family member said, "Is it so difficult to display the list of the deceased and the accident status on the electronic board? Is it really that hard to provide updates in a way that families can easily understand? How can it make sense that the bereaved families have been left in the dark for hours?"
Another family member demanded, "What will happen to the families who remain here after the briefing ends and everyone leaves? At least one person should stay here to communicate with the families."
The families also requested to visit the accident site for identification purposes.
A man in his 50s, believed to be a family member of a passenger, said, "Having lived together for decades, there is hope that I can recognize my loved one if I see them with my own eyes. The briefings are inadequate and it's frustrating. Even if we have to form a delegation among the families, please allow us to confirm the site ourselves."
Another issue was that updates on the accident response were only being delivered by central government agencies, resulting in families waiting at the airport receiving information late.
One family member pointed out, "The accident happened here, so why is Jeju Air's briefing being held in Seoul? It's also a problem that the tally of the deceased and updates on the accident response are only being reported to the Government Complex."
Meanwhile, at around 9:07 AM on the same day, an aircraft crash occurred at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province. It was confirmed that the Jeju Air flight from Bangkok, Thailand, was carrying 181 passengers. So far, 167 passengers have been confirmed dead. Fire authorities are working on rescue operations and identification of the victims.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
