Remaining 38 individuals' identities being confirmed through genetic analysis and fingerprint collection
Two black boxes fully recovered
Data retrieval challenging due to damage
Acting Chief Choi Sang-mok: "Keep families informed during investigation"
Amid the tragedy of the Jeju Air passenger plane crash that resulted in 179 deaths, acquaintances of the victims are shedding tears after offering flowers at the joint memorial altar set up at Muan Sports Park near Muan International Airport, Jeollanam-do, on the 30th to mourn the victims. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung
As of the morning of the 30th, a full day after the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do, the identities of 141 out of 179 deceased have been confirmed. The black box, which can help determine the cause of the accident, was also found and transported to Gimpo Airport for analysis.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport held a briefing at 10 a.m. at the Government Sejong Complex regarding the response to the Jeju Air passenger plane accident, announcing, "As of 9:30 a.m., the identities of 141 people have been confirmed." There are 38 passengers whose identities still need to be confirmed, and procedures are currently underway through genetic analysis and fingerprint collection.
A ministry official stated, "We will contact the families again once the investigation agency completes the autopsy and preparations for handing over the bodies are finished." The recovered remains have been temporarily stored in hangars at Muan Airport. Freezing facilities have also been arranged to preserve the remains until they are handed over to the bereaved families. The ministry has decided to preserve the accident site for the time being to investigate the cause of the accident.
Jeju Air flight 7C2216, which departed from Bangkok, Thailand, and was heading to Muan Airport, attempted to land on the runway at Muan Airport around 9:03 a.m. the previous day with the landing gear (the equipment necessary for takeoff and landing, such as the airplane wheels) not deployed. The plane collided with the airport’s outer wall. The aircraft was engulfed in flames, with only the tail section remaining intact. All 175 passengers, along with 2 pilots and 2 cabin crew members, totaling 179 people, died at the scene. Two survivors were crew members, a man and a woman, who were in the tail section of the aircraft.
Black Boxes Recovered... Transported to Gimpo
The two black boxes, key to determining the cause of the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster, have been fully recovered. The black boxes of the accident aircraft consist of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and the Flight Data Recorder (FDR). Immediately after the accident, the CVR was found intact, but the FDR was recovered with some external damage. However, during the night, the detached FDR was also found, securing the entire exterior of the black boxes from the accident aircraft. The critical issue now is whether data can be properly downloaded given the severe damage to the black boxes.
Gwak Young-pil, a section chief of the Central Accident Response Headquarters, said, "We have secured all the black boxes, including the one lost overnight, and plan to move them to Gimpo Airport. The most important task ahead is decoding the black boxes at the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board’s analysis room at Gimpo Airport, but whether data download will be successful is the key."
The investigation must analyze and compare the records from both devices. The decoding of the FDR and CVR will determine the overall direction and duration of the investigation. If both devices are intact and data can be downloaded, the process can proceed quickly. However, if the black boxes are too damaged for easy data retrieval, assistance from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be required, potentially extending the investigation to several months. Joo Jong-wan, Director of the Aviation Policy Office at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "We need to comprehensively assess the condition of the black boxes and their impact on the accident. At this point, it is difficult to predict when the analysis will be completed."
Keep Bereaved Families Informed During Investigation
Meanwhile, on the morning of the 30th, Choi Sang-mok, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, presiding over the 4th meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) at the Government Seoul Complex, stated regarding the accident investigation, "Even before the final results are out, we will transparently disclose the investigation process to keep the bereaved families informed." He also instructed the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to "conduct safety inspections of aircraft operation systems."
Acting Prime Minister Choi said, "It pains me as acting prime minister that this unfortunate accident occurred amid public hardships. We will manage state affairs without disruption to comfort the bereaved families and protect the daily lives of the people." He activated the CDSCH immediately after the accident the previous day, appointing the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport as the first deputy head and the acting Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety as the second deputy head, directing them to promptly prepare measures for damage recovery.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
![Clutching a Stolen Dior Bag, Saying "I Hate Being Poor but Real"... The Grotesque Con of a "Human Knockoff" [Slate]](https://cwcontent.asiae.co.kr/asiaresize/183/2026021902243444107_1771435474.jpg)
