[Reporter’s Notebook] Jeju Residents Troubled by the Term 'Jeju Air Disaster'

Changwon Park, Director of Honam Reporting Headquarters.

In the Jeju region, concerns are growing that the term "Jeju Air passenger plane disaster" could severely damage Jeju's tourism image, since the word "Jeju"?though part of the airline's brand?keeps being mentioned. At the same time, calls to refer to the incident as the "Muan Airport disaster" have sparked worries that this could fuel regional conflict between Jeju and Muan, leaving Jeju residents increasingly distressed.

Highlighting a region in the naming of a disaster can promote regional discrimination and obscure the company's responsibility. Initially, the incident was referred to as the "Muan Airport disaster," but this shifted to the "Jeju Air passenger plane disaster" in the early stages of the tragedy.

Although the company name is now included in the disaster's title, the fact that the company name itself contains a regional name is unintentionally harming Jeju's image, regardless of the original intent behind the change.

Jeju Air was established in 2005 to lower airfare costs for Jeju residents, with a 75% stake from Aekyung and 25% from Jeju Province. Currently, Jeju Province is the fourth-largest shareholder, holding a 3.18% stake. In 2015, there was an attempt to change the company name to AK Jeju Air, but strong opposition from Jeju Province led to the retention of the current name.

While it is important to emphasize corporate responsibility in the naming of disasters, if the company is linked to a local government through investment and thus associated with the region, careful consideration is needed when deciding on the disaster's name.

In brand marketing, a brand symbolizes the connection between a company's image and its business model. Companies often launch new brands to break from existing images and start new business ventures.

For example, when Genesis and Lexus were launched, they aimed to shed the low-cost image of Hyundai Motor Company and Toyota, respectively, and rebrand as luxury carmakers. Even if problems occur with existing models, companies are willing to pay a high price to keep the separate brands of Genesis and Lexus free from negative associations, using branding efficiently.

The brand "Jeju" is the name of Korea's number one tourist destination, most desired by both domestic and international travelers. Due to the island's nature, air travel is an essential means of transportation to Jeju.

Therefore, even though it is indirect, the repeated mention of "Jeju" in connection with a major transportation disaster is causing emotional discomfort among Jeju residents.

These sentiments were cautiously discussed during the mourning period, but are now surfacing more openly in local communities as the period of mourning concludes.

In one online community, a couple debated whether including "Jeju" in the disaster's name would harm the tourism industry, while others argued it would instead lead to a "low-cost carrier phobia." The discussion continued with various opinions, such as, "From the Hudson River plane landing, people remember the region, not the airline involved," and, "It's common to use regional names, like the Itaewon disaster or Daegu subway disaster, so why isn't it called the 'Muan Airport disaster'?"

In politics, Kogi-Chul, head of the Seogwipo branch of the People Power Party, posted on his personal Facebook page a banner from a Democratic Party lawmaker expressing condolences for the "aviation disaster victims"?without mentioning Jeju?along with the caption, "Muan Airport accident, Jeju Air accident?"

He further commented, "The media is reporting it as the Jeju Air disaster. I urge Democratic Party politicians in Jeju to exercise political leadership," referencing the unique political landscape of Jeju, which is represented only by Democratic Party lawmakers.

There are growing concerns that the inclusion of "Jeju" in the airline's name may further harm Jeju's already struggling tourism industry in the wake of COVID-19. Additionally, raising this issue could potentially escalate into regional and political conflict, deepening the distress of Jeju residents. It seems national wisdom is needed in naming the disaster.

Once again, I express my deepest condolences to the victims of the Muan Airport Jeju Air passenger plane disaster and their families.