"The Youngest Who Bore All the Hardships Like the Eldest Daughter... Heartbroken" Bereaved Families Wail, Calling Out the Names They Miss

"My Heart Is Torn Apart. After All the Hardship..."
Identities of 140 Victims Confirmed... 165 Bodies Stored
Ministry of Land Holds Briefing for Families of Passengers... Runway Preserved

"What can I say? My heart is torn apart. I raised them with so much care..."

Following the Jeju Air passenger plane crash at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, which claimed the lives of 179 people, the identities of 140 victims have been tentatively confirmed. Throughout the airport, bereaved families called out the names of their loved ones, sobbing endlessly.

Around 8 a.m. on the 30th, in the first-floor lobby of Muan International Airport, bereaved families wept as they called out the names of those they lost in the temporary shelters set up by the government and various relief organizations. Some family members, looking utterly dazed, stared blankly at the live TV broadcast.

As the identities of 140 victims in the Jeju Air passenger plane crash have been tentatively confirmed, bereaved families are sobbing endlessly, calling out the names of their departed loved ones at various locations in Muan Airport, Jeonnam. Photo by Song Bohyun

Park, whose younger sister and brother-in-law were on board the crashed plane, said, "My sister was the youngest, but she took care of all the difficult things in the family, just like the eldest daughter. My heart is torn apart. She suffered so much..." Unable to continue, Park broke down in tears.

After reports that all passengers except for two crew members had died, bereaved families who had spent the night sleeplessly wept in silence for a long time. One woman cried out, "It feels like time has stopped. How could this happen? My husband is gone without any explanation," sobbing uncontrollably.

Volunteers busily moved between the temporary shelters, helping bereaved families up from where they sat on the floor with their heads bowed. Kim, who has volunteered for years, said, "I know even saying 'stay strong' is a luxury. All I can do is quietly listen or cry with them."

A citizen who planned to volunteer at the joint memorial altar at 11 a.m. said, "I asked my husband for understanding and decided to volunteer on the last day of the year and the first day of the new year. I will mourn the pain that cannot be shared from a distance."

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport held a briefing for the families of passengers at Muan Airport terminal on the morning of the 30th and announced, "As of 7:25 a.m., the identities of 140 people have been confirmed." Photo by Song Bohyun

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport held a briefing for the families of the passengers at the Muan Airport terminal this morning, announcing, "As of 7:25 a.m., the identities of 140 victims have been confirmed."

The authorities handling the aftermath, including the Ministry of Land, said, "So far, 165 bodies have been placed in the temporary mortuary. Once the investigation and autopsies are complete and the bodies are ready to be released, we will contact the families."

Of the 181 people on board the Jeju Air flight the previous day, only two crew members survived. Authorities continued to identify the deceased and recover remains throughout the night. The recovered remains are being temporarily stored in hangars at Muan Airport, and refrigeration facilities are being prepared for preservation. Lee Jincheol, the head of the Busan Regional Office of Aviation, who is in charge of the site for the Ministry of Land, explained, "We plan to install six freezers by 2 p.m. today, increasing the total capacity to 11."

Personal belongings are also being collected at the runway site, and the area will be preserved for the time being for the investigation into the cause of the accident by the Ministry of Land and other authorities.

Meanwhile, Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 from Bangkok, Thailand, exploded after colliding with the outer wall while attempting an emergency landing at Muan Airport around 9:03 a.m. the previous day, with its landing gear (aircraft wheels) not deployed. The crashed aircraft was a B737-800, carrying a total of 181 people, including 175 passengers and 6 crew members. Of these, 179 died at the scene.