[Aircraft Crash] Jeonnam Province to Operate Additional Memorial Altar on the First Floor of Muan Airport

Han Shin Park, representative of the Bereaved Families Association for the Jeju Air Passenger Plane Disaster at Muan Airport, is holding a press conference on the afternoon of the 30th at Muan International Airport in Muan County, Jeollanam-do. Photo by Yonhap News

Jeollanam-do announced that it will additionally operate a joint memorial altar for the Jeju Air passenger plane crash at Muan International Airport.

According to Jeollanam-do on the 30th, the province plans to set up an additional memorial altar near Gate 2 on the first floor of Muan International Airport.

Originally, the province had set up a joint memorial altar at Muan Sports Park, about 10 km away from the airport, starting at 11 a.m. that day, and also installed a memorial altar at the 'Meeting Plaza' inside the Jeollanam-do Provincial Government building.

However, there was criticism that these locations were too far from the airport, which is the site of the accident and where the bereaved families are staying, making access inconvenient.

The Jeju Air Disaster Bereaved Families Association stated in a briefing that morning, "It is more appropriate for the memorial altar to be set up at the site of the accident rather than far away," and added, "The bereaved families hope that a memorial altar can be installed on the first floor of Muan Airport."

Jeollanam-do is currently setting up the memorial altar on the first floor of the airport. However, in accordance with the families' wishes, portraits and memorial tablets of the victims will be placed at the altar, and it is expected to take some time to collect these items.

The province plans to operate both the existing Sports Park memorial altar and the airport memorial altar simultaneously.

A provincial official stated, "The Muan Airport memorial altar will be arranged according to the wishes of the bereaved families," and added, "If the collection of portraits is delayed, we will work overnight if necessary to complete the installation of the altar as quickly as possible."