TThe 181 people who boarded Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 from Bangkok on Sunday were no different from the millions of people who fly commercially every day. Children on their first overseas trip, co-workers celebrating a promotion, vacationers returning from a package tour, all with Korean family and friends looking forward to reuniting.
But now they will forever be associated with the worst domestic aviation disaster in this country’s history.
As authorities scramble to determine the cause of Sunday’s crash, which killed all but two passengers and crew on a Boeing 737-800, heartbreaking stories and stories emerge as grieving families and friends share the pain of loss. There were cries of condolence.
The 179 people who died were between the ages of 3 and 78, but the majority were in their 40s, 50s and 60s. Five of the people were children under the age of 10, two of the dead were Thai and the rest were Korean.
Among them was a 3-year-old boy who died in the crash with his parents, who shared an image on Instagram of their son looking out the plane window on the way to Thailand. . The caption read: “My son is going overseas for the first time on an overnight flight, but his first passport isn’t stamped.”
Kang Ko, 43, his wife Jin Lee-son, 37, and their son died on their way back from their first overseas trip as a family.
Ko, who worked as a public relations officer for the Kia Tigers professional baseball team, was described by friends as likable and hardworking. “He was great at his job and the entire baseball broadcast team liked him,” SBS sportscaster Jung Woo-young wrote on Instagram.
According to Yonhap News, the victims included nine people from three generations of the same family. Among them was the eldest son, a 79-year-old man who had returned from vacation with his wife, two daughters, a son-in-law, a granddaughter and three grandsons.
41 of the passengers on the flight were on a return trip on a package tour that departed from Muan on Christmas night.
One of the two Thai nationals who died was Siritung Chawe, a 22-year-old student who had won a scholarship to study aviation management at Bangkok University, with just three months left to graduate. She was traveling to Jeju Island to see her mother and possibly looking for job opportunities.
“She always dreamed of working there as a stewardess,” her uncle told Yonhap News, describing her as “the pride of the family.”
A few weeks ago, Siritung, also known as May, happily posed for selfies with his girlfriend in an area of Bangkok known for its street food. Her social media pages showed that she likes K-pop, kittens, art classes, and dying her bangs bright blue.
“My mother was waiting at the airport, but at first she thought the plane’s problem was minor,” the uncle said. “But then she saw a video of what happened on social media. She was in shock and panicked.”
Another Thai victim’s cousin, Jonluk Dungmanee, told BBC Thai he was “shocked” when he heard the news. “I got goosebumps. I couldn’t believe it,” Pornpichaya Charelmushin said.
Jung-luk has been living in South Korea for the past five years, working as a farmer. She typically traveled to Thailand twice a year during her holidays to visit her sick father and her two children, ages 7 and 15, from a previous marriage. Pornpichaya said her father, who suffers from heart disease, was “devastated” to learn of her death.
“It’s unbearable for him. This was his youngest daughter,” she said, adding that all three of his children were working overseas.
Shin Gyu-ho, who lost two grandchildren and a son-in-law, was one of the relatives who expressed frustration at how long it was taking authorities to formally identify the victims. Mr Singh, 64, told the BBC that at one point he became so angry that he considered sabotaging the PA system used for police interviews.
Although all the bodies have now been identified, Shin said she was initially told that her two grandchildren, both high school students, were “too disjointed to be recognized.”
At Muan Airport, sticky notes, relatives and locals left food and flowers as offerings. “Honey, we miss you so much,” one of them said. Another added: “Dear sister, you are the most thoughtful person I know. It’s not okay. I will always remember you. I’m sorry. I love you.”
Near the crash site, a handwritten note believed to have been written by the pilot’s older brother was placed next to a drink cup with gimbap, a popular Korean dish of rice, vegetables and meat wrapped in dried seaweed. “My heart breaks when I think of the agony you faced alone (in your final moments),” it read. “You were really wonderful and did a great job, so I hope you can find a warm place and be happy from now on. Thank you and I’m sorry.”
A celebratory trip to Thailand to mark the end of their university entrance exams ended in tragedy for Meng Guisu’s nephew and nephew. “I can’t believe my whole family has disappeared,” Meng, 78, told the BBC. “My heart hurts so much.”
Jeon Jae-young, 71, told Reuters that her daughter Mi-sook, who was identified through her fingerprints, was on her way home from a trip to Bangkok with friends for a festival. “My daughter, who is in her mid-40s, ended up like this,” he said, adding that the last time he saw her was on December 21, when she brought food and next year’s calendar to his home. he added. Our last moments together.
Mi-sook leaves behind her husband and teenage daughter. “I can’t believe it,” Chong said.
As of Wednesday, only a few bodies had been handed over to their families; the rest were kept in a temporary morgue at the airport.
Among them was a 64-year-old man named Kim. His brother had made an appointment at the funeral home for next Monday, but was told that his brother’s remains would be reexamined because they were decomposed and could have been mixed with other remains. belonging to other victims.
Kim, who was self-employed, died while returning from Thailand with eight friends. His brother was unable to break the news to his 96-year-old mother, fearing the impact the shock would have on her health.
“She will be 97 years old in a day or two, but she is keeping quiet because she doesn’t think she should know about this,” he told JoongAng Ilbo.
The desks once used by five women who worked together in the public education office now hold bouquets of chrysanthemums laid out by devastated colleagues, some trying to accept the news. Some people shed tears.
A source who worked in the same department as one of the women said the five had planned a vacation to Thailand to celebrate their promotions. “I can’t believe it’s real,” Lee Dae-keun, an employee of the Jeollanam Provincial Office of Education, told Reuters. “She is still in my eyes. Every time I look at the flowers on that empty desk… I feel a rush of sadness.”