"The fireworks were not on the day of the disaster"… Organizer "Sorry for causing trouble"

Organizer: "Sudden Situation Led to Inexperienced Judgment"

Amid a large-scale casualty incident caused by a Jeju Air passenger plane disaster at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do, a fireworks festival held on the Han River near Yeouido, Seoul on the 29th has drawn public criticism.

The Hangang Hallyu Fireworks Cruise, reportedly held near Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 29th. X (X, formerly Twitter)

That afternoon, photos and videos of the fireworks display on the Han River were shared on social networking services (SNS) such as X, sparking a wave of criticism. Given the tragic situation with 179 deaths from the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster, the fireworks festival was deemed an inappropriate event. Netizens responded with comments such as, "It seems there is no sense of right and wrong," "Isn't it wrong to set off fireworks during a major disaster?" "This is a national mourning period. Please at least show some respect," and "Even if other events must proceed, the fireworks should have been postponed. It’s not about forcing grief, but basic courtesy should be observed."

The fireworks display was part of the '2024 Hangang Festival' and specifically the 'Hangang Hallyu Fireworks Cruise' event. It was organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Future Hangang Headquarters. The event was conducted through advance reservations for the general public (participation fee: 40,000 KRW for adults, 25,000 KRW for children). The Seoul city website introduced the event as an opportunity to "send off the regrets of this year and the hopes for next year with splendid fireworks." However, the decision to proceed with the fireworks on the day of the tragic disaster drew heavy criticism toward the organizers. In response, Seoul city stated that the event was hosted by a private company and that the city only granted permission.

Information about Hangang Hallyu Fireworks Cruise. Screenshot from Seoul City website.

As the controversy grew, the organizer, Hyundai Marine Leisure, issued an apology statement under the name of CEO Kim Jin-man. Through their official website, Hyundai Marine Leisure apologized, saying, "Despite the cancellation request from the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Future Hangang Headquarters, today’s event should have been canceled," and added, "It was before the national mourning period was declared, and due to the suddenness of the situation, we made an immature judgment." They further explained, "However, the fireworks conducted on the cruise today were part of a pre-contracted event with a foreign incentive group visiting Korea, making unilateral cancellation on the day impossible," and "There were about 200 passengers confirmed, including multicultural children invited and year-end social volunteer groups."

They also stated, "The difficult reality of the tourism industry made it hard to distinguish between events that should not be held and those that cannot be held," and apologized sincerely for causing controversy by holding such an event during this solemn time of mourning amid a major disaster. "It was a wrong action," they admitted. Finally, they expressed their deepest apologies and condolences to those who lost their lives and their bereaved families in this passenger plane accident.

Apology Letter from Jinman Kim, CEO of Hyundai Marine Leisure. Hyundai Cruise Website

Meanwhile, at 9:03 a.m. that day, a report was received that Jeju Air flight 7C2216 from Bangkok, Thailand, had an accident while attempting to land on the runway at Muan International Airport. The aircraft collided with facilities around the runway and was split in half, engulfed in flames. The aircraft involved was a B737-800, carrying a total of 181 people, including 175 passengers and 6 crew members. The death toll was reported as 179, with 2 survivors.

The government designated the following seven days as a national mourning period. Choi Sang-mok, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, said in opening remarks at the third meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters held at the Government Seoul Office that day, "We will declare Muan County a special disaster area and provide all necessary support," and "We will establish and operate an integrated support center on site to provide unified support to the bereaved families." He also emphasized that dedicated public officials would be assigned to each bereaved family and that victim identification would be expedited through forensic investigators at Muan Airport.