[Report] "They Could Have Been Saved"... Airport Filled with Wailing as First Anniversary Memorial Ceremony Held

First Anniversary Memorial of the December 29 Passenger Plane Disaster
Cries of Grief Erupt Across the Airport as Family Names Are Called
Procession of Over 1,000 Mourners, Coffee Shared in Remembrance
"The Truth Must Be Revealed and Accountability Ensured"

On the 29th, a memorial service marking the first anniversary of the December 29 Muan Airport Jeju Air passenger plane disaster was held at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do. Photo by Min Chanki

"Bring them back! Can't you please come home?" On December 29, at Muan International Airport, the first anniversary memorial ceremony for the December 29 Muan Airport Jeju Air passenger plane disaster was solemnly held.

At around 9:03 a.m., as the memorial siren sounded to mark the time of the disaster, bereaved families and attendees at the ceremony stopped in their tracks and bowed their heads in silence.

The shelter, where the families have stayed and continue to keep vigil since the disaster, was a testament to the desperate and difficult struggle they have endured. It felt as if time had stopped at the airport since one year ago, and the bereaved families watched the memorial ceremony broadcast on monitors in what used to be a caf? and in the waiting area.

During the ceremony, a memorial performance was held under the theme "The Way Home." Set against the backdrop of the flight departing from Bangkok, Thailand to Korea, the names of the victims were called out one by one. Each time a victim's name was called, a boarding pass bearing their name was placed on the central aisle of the audience.

As the names of their beloved family members were read out, cries of anguish erupted from bereaved families throughout the first and second floors of the airport. They wiped away tears with handkerchiefs, clutched their chests, and leaned on their loved ones beside them, sobbing. The airport was filled with wails: "Please come back. Bring them back."

The weeping was so relentless that even the actors participating in the performance continued on stage through their own tears.

When the screen replayed the records of that day, with families repeatedly asking, "Why can't I reach you by phone?" in response to messages saying their loved ones would arrive soon, the airport was once again engulfed in even deeper sorrow.

The boarding passes, neatly laid out on the floor, were gradually collected, and memorial message boxes tied with blue ribbons were handed to the bereaved families.

Even after the ceremony ended with a song by singer Lee Eunmi, the families could not easily leave, lingering as they gazed at the nameplates of their loved ones displayed on the stage.

On the 29th, at the first anniversary memorial ceremony of the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster at Muan Airport on December 29, Yujin Kim, representative of the Bereaved Families Association, delivered a memorial speech. Photo by Min Chanki

Kim Yujin, representative of the Bereaved Families Association, said in a memorial speech, "What the bereaved families truly want is for all 179 people to come back alive. But we know that is impossible," adding, "We will not stop until the truth is fully revealed and those responsible are held accountable, so that the sacrifice of the 179 victims will not be in vain."

On the 29th, mourners are paying their respects and laying flowers at the memorial altar for the 12·29 Muan Airport Jeju Air passenger plane disaster, set up on the first floor of Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do. Photo by Min Chanki

At the memorial altar set up on one side of the first floor,the procession of mourners paying tribute and laying flowers continued.Mourners paused in front of the nameplates engraved with the victims' names and observed a moment of silence. The area in front of the nameplates was filled with flowers left by visitors. As of the morning of the ceremony, about 1,000 citizens had visited the altar.

This memorial ceremony was held under the slogan "It could have been prevented, lives could have been saved, the truth can be revealed." On one wall of the second floor, memorial messages shaped like airplane boarding passes stood out. Mourners and bereaved families left messages such as, "I can't forget for a single moment. Please visit me even in my dreams," "May you always be healthy, peaceful, and happy in heaven," and "We will remember the lives of the victims."

At the entrance to the airport on the first floor, the Siloam People group offered free coffee. They had kept vigil at Muan Airport since the previous day, preparing 3,000 cups of warm coffee and tea so that all bereaved families and citizens visiting the airport could share in comfort freely.

Kim Yongmok, head of Siloam People, said, "When we held the free coffee event at Muan Airport on January 1, I heard from the bereaved families that it brought them some comfort," and added, "Even though it's just a simple cup of tea, we wanted to convey that citizens empathize with the tragedy and that our hearts are connected, which is why we started this sharing."