Recovery of 179 Bodies of Victims from Muan Jeju Air Disaster Completed

On-site search continues... possibility of additional body parts discovery

Among the 179 victims of the Jeju Air disaster at Muan International Airport in Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do, the bodies of 103 have been returned to their families. The remaining 76 bodies will also go through the handover process sequentially.

On the 4th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that as of 5 p.m. that day, 103 bodies had been handed over to the bereaved families, and most of the body recovery efforts had been completed. The remaining 76 bodies are currently preserved at the temporary morgue at Muan Airport. These bodies will also be handed over sequentially within the day. As of the night search on the 3rd, a total of 1,013 body fragments of the victims were recovered, and the completion of body recovery means that the reconstruction process of assembling these fragments has been finished.

Amid the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster that resulted in 179 deaths, local residents visited the joint memorial altar set up at Muan Sports Park near Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do on the 30th of last month to pay their respects to the victims. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

Although the body recovery is in its final stages, authorities plan to continue on-site searches for any remaining body fragments or personal belongings for the time being. Since one additional body fragment was discovered at the site that day, the bereaved families are considering collecting any further discovered remains to hold a joint funeral and then establishing a memorial space such as a cenotaph to enshrine them separately.

However, despite the completion of the body recovery process, families hoping for the investigation of the accident’s cause have not left the airport. Central government agencies, including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, have decided to keep the resting area inside the airport where the families have been staying. Staff dedicated to supporting the bereaved families remain stationed at the airport, and they continue post-care by contacting families who have completed funeral procedures and returned home.

At a regular briefing held that afternoon, Park Sang-woo, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, “Even after the (recovery) situation concludes, a support team at the central government level will be formed, and the current support organization will be maintained on site.” He added, “The Muan Airport office will also continue to operate, and we will accelerate the formation of the accident recovery and bereaved family support team.”