"Captain, Thank You" "We Are Here" Letters Left on the Runway Fence

Letters and Items Placed to Comfort the Spirits of the Victims

"Thank you so much to the captain, first officer, and flight attendants who did their best to save the passengers."

"We have come. Thinking of the lonely struggle you endured breaks my heart."

On the third day of the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster, on the 31st, handwritten letters and drinking glasses commemorating the flight attendants who made efforts until the end and the victims are placed around the fence near the runway of Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do.

A glass of alcohol and a handwritten letter placed in front of the runway. Photo by Yonhap News

Yonhap News, News1, and others reported that on this day, handwritten letters, chrysanthemums, alcohol, bread, kimbap, and beverages were continuously placed along the fence at Muan International Airport as memorials to comfort the victims.

Handwritten letters expressing condolences to the captain and first officer who piloted the accident aircraft read, "Thank you so much to the captain, first officer, and flight attendants who did their best to save us." The writer also expressed the hope that "all passengers have gone to a good place and rest in peace comfortably."

There was also a letter presumed to have been left by an older brother who lost his younger sibling in this disaster. The letter, written with pressing handwriting, said, "We have come. Thinking of the lonely struggle you endured breaks my heart," and continued, "You were already so wonderful and did well enough, so now I hope you find happiness in a warm place. Thank you, and I am sorry. From your brother." It is reported that mourners could not leave for a while as they looked at the note containing the older brother’s sorrowful feelings over the loss of his younger sibling.

Another handwritten letter contained the message, "We sincerely pray for the deceased’s happiness in the afterlife. This tragic death will be remembered forever. We pray you rest peacefully in a good place."

Since the first day of the disaster, chrysanthemums placed near the runway have increased and extended even to places far from the aircraft. Alcohol, bread, rice cakes, Choco Pie, and heat packs left by mourners were neatly arranged facing the wrecked aircraft.

On this day, work continued around the aircraft to recover body parts and personal belongings of the disaster victims. Police forensic teams and firefighters divided the area around the aircraft into detailed sections to conduct inspections and collection work, and whenever items that could comfort the bereaved families were found, they confirmed them together.

Earlier, at around 9:03 a.m. on the 29th, Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 from Bangkok, Thailand to Muan attempted a belly landing at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do but veered off the runway, collided with azimuth facilities, and exploded. At the time of the accident, there were 181 people on board, including 175 passengers and 6 crew members. Except for two Korean flight attendants, all others died. As of this day, the identities of 174 out of 179 victims have been confirmed through DNA analysis, autopsy, and family identification procedures, while the remaining five are being identified through detailed DNA analysis.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.