146 crash victims identified as gov't, localities and Jeju Air intensify disaster recovery efforts

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146 crash victims identified as gov't, localities and Jeju Air intensify disaster recovery efforts

Published: 30 Dec. 2024, 19:27

LEE SOO-JUNG
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A person expresses his condolences at a joint memorial altar installed at a sports park in Muan County, South Jeolla, on Dec. 30, a day after a fatal plane crash killed 179 people on board. [JOONGANG ILBO]

The identities of 146 victims who died in a fatal Jeju Air crash at Muan International Airport have been confirmed as of Monday afternoon, as the country entered a weeklong national mourning period.

The remaining 33 unidentified victims are undergoing analysis of their DNA and fingerprints, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport as of 2:30 p.m.

On Sunday morning, Jeju Air’s Boeing 737-800 collided with a concrete embankment at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla and exploded, resulting in the death of 179 of 181 passengers and crew on board.

The remains of the plane's captain and first officer have yet to be identified, according to the JoongAng Ilbo’s report published on Monday around 1 p.m.

Of the four flight attendants, two died, including the youngest, a 23-year-old woman. The only survivors of the crash were two flight attendants who were rescued in the aircraft’s tail section.

A national mourning period has been designated through Jan. 4. Memorial altars will also be installed nationwide, allowing the public to express condolences to the victims.

The Seoul city government will place an altar in front of the city hall from 8 a.m. Tuesday to 10 p.m. on Dec. 4.

In Gwangju and South Jeolla — regions that lost 157 residents — three memorial altars will be placed at May 18 Democracy Square, the South Jeolla provincial government and the sports park in Muan County.

Bereaved families of victims who died in Jeju Air's crash express their sorrow at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla on Dec. 30. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The relatives of deceased victims have decided not to hold funerals until all 179 victims are identified. Park Han-sin, a representative of the bereaved relatives, asked fellow families to stop discussing or preparing individual funerals.

Jeju Air said it would “respect” the stances of victims’ families and promised that the “funerals would be held in the way that bereaved relatives wish.” The company dispatched its employees to support further funeral processes based on the families' preferences, said Song Kyung-hoon, head of the management team at the airline, during a third press conference.

Relatives of two Thai victims are expected to arrive in Korea on Monday, said Song. The company added that it will actively support them to identify their deceased family member by providing interpretation and transportation services.

The Korean families also agreed that the joint memorial altar should be installed on the first floor of the airport instead of the current location at the sports park of Muan County — approximately five kilometers (3.1 miles) away from the accident site. They conveyed their request to acting President Choi Sang-mok, who visited the airport later in the day.

Bereaved relatives observe the site of the Jeju Air plane crash at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla on Dec. 30. [YONHAP]

The relatives also said Jeju Air and its parent company, Aekyung Group, should compensate families for funeral costs.

“Funeral costs begin mounting from when we leave the airport and must be paid by Aekyung Group,” Park said. He said the text of an indemnity document had been revised three times to hold the corporations accountable for the costs.

The document reportedly includes phrases holding the airline liable for all costs, ranging from accommodation fees to transporting the bodies, funeral ceremonies and casket costs. Jeju Air had not said whether it had agreed to the details of the document written by the bereaved families as of press time.

The airline also said it will closely coordinate with families of deceased passengers when handing out insurance claim funds. The crashed aircraft was insured in a policy with a liability limit of $1 billion. Five Korean insurers and an overseas reinsurer will likely cover the loss collectively.

According to Jeju Air, officials from a British reinsurer — reported to be Britian's Axa XL — arrived in Korea on Sunday evening, and discussions on settling the claim fund are expected to begin Monday.

Local governments are also providing support.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday said a fund of up to 75 million won ($50,893) would be available for the families of six Seoul residents who lost their lives in the crash. The fund includes some 15 million won of funeral costs. The two Seoulite survivors will be able to receive 10 million won according to their disability grade.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok places a flower and expresses his condolences to the victims at a joint memorial altar in Muan County, South Jeolla on Dec. 30. [JANG JIN-YOUNG]

As authorities scrambled to deal with the disaster, acting President Choi asked investigators to transparently disclose the progress of their probe into the deadly Jeju Air crash before announcing the final results.

Choi ordered relevant authorities to “sternly investigate the cause of the accident” during a meeting at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters convened at the government complex in central Seoul.

Choi also asked Jeju Air to "proactively cooperate with relevant authorities’ requests and demands from bereaved families" to help actualize responsible postaccident management and a stern investigation.

On Monday afternoon, Choi expressed his condolence to the victims at the joint memorial altar at the sports park of Muan County. He was accompanied by Minister of Health Cho Kyoo-hong and acting Minister of the Interior and Safety Ko Ki-dong.

When meeting with victims’ relatives at Muan International Airport, he said the government would help address “any concerns and difficulties.” He also discussed means to swiftly hand over the victims’ remains at the comprehensive support center inside the airport.

The support center is a multiagency effort between the Transport Ministry, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Health Ministry, the National Police Agency, the National Fire Agency, the South Jeolla provincial government, the Muan County office, the Korea Airports Corporation and Jeju Air.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG, SHIN JIN-HO, LEE JI-YOUNG [[email protected]]