Family Members' Post-it Notes on the Memorial Stairs at the Government Building
From Belated Sincerity to Heartfelt Longing
"Mother, Happy New Year in Heaven"
"I'm now a Senior in High School. I've Grown Up and Gotten My Act Together..."
On the fourth day since the Jeju Air disaster, on the 1st, bereaved families and citizens are writing condolence letters on the stairs connecting the 1st and 2nd floors of the Muan International Airport terminal. Photo by Yonhap News
"I regret it. I left without making peace. It's late, but I missed you. A lot", "Mom, I'm now a senior in high school"
On the fourth day after the Jeju Air disaster, the stairs of the Muan International Airport terminal were covered with condolence messages from the bereaved families. Citizens who saw the messages, filled with the pain of the families, stopped in their tracks and shed tears.
Even on palm-sized Post-it notes, the longing and sorrow of the bereaved families were deeply expressed. One family member pressed their late feelings into a note to their younger sibling: "I regret it, I left without making peace. It's late, but I missed you, a lot." Next to it was a Post-it with the heartfelt message, "Honey, I miss you so much."
A bereaved family member, apparently a son, wrote, "Mom, I'm now a senior in high school. I've started to mature and get my act together, but I won't be able to show you." Each word was filled with longing. It ended with, "Keep watching over me, and I'll take you to the new house with me, so brag a lot to your friends. I love you." Next to it was a handwritten letter saying, "Mother, the New Year has dawned. May you receive many blessings in heaven as well..."
On the 4th day since the Jeju Air disaster, on the 1st, bereaved families and citizens are writing condolence letters on the stairs connecting the 1st and 2nd floors of the Muan International Airport terminal. Photo by Yonhap News
Messages of comfort from citizens were also abundant. The stairs were filled with condolence messages such as "Rest in peace, victims" and "May you rest in eternal peace."
This 'Staircase of Remembrance' at Muan Airport was naturally created when Lee Geun-ho, head of the Handwritten Letter Movement Headquarters, handed out pens and paper to passersby, asking them to leave letters. Lee, who lost his fourth-grade son in an accident 30 years ago and endured great sorrow, founded the Handwritten Letter Movement Headquarters and has collected letters from mourners at sites of tragedies like the Sewol Ferry and Itaewon disasters to deliver to the bereaved families.
Lee stated, "I promised my son that I would live a life embracing the tears of others despite the pain of losing a child," and added, "I hope the bereaved families and the entire nation heal their wounds and that such sorrow will not be repeated in 2025."
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