“Is there no chance of survival at all?” That heart-wrenching question echoed in the conference room at Muan International Airport as families of passengers of the ill-fated Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 held on to dwindling hopes. A plane carrying 181 people crashed on Sunday morning, killing all but two. Officials confirmed that one crew member and one passenger were pulled from the wreckage during the ongoing rescue operation.
As families gathered at the airport, the sounds of sobbing filled the air. About four hours after the accident, Lee Jeong-hyeon, former chief of the Muan Fire Department, addressed the distraught families. “Most of the 181 people on board are believed to have died,” he said, according to a local outlet. The room, filled with more than 100 family members, was filled with screams of agony, and some collapsed under the weight of the tragedy.
Asked if there was “no chance” of survival, the chief simply lowered his head before replying, “It’s unfortunate, but that’s what we’re looking at.”
A woman, who was waiting for news about her daughter, fell into her lap as her hope was lost. One man expressed his frustration by repeating, “How could I have…” Others were left speechless, raving about their last conversations with loved ones: “Oh my God, you called yesterday… .” and “You were so excited to go out and play…”
“My sister was on that plane,” a 33-year-old woman said while crying. She had always suffered, but now that her circumstances have become better, she has gone out to have fun,” she told a local outlet.
Already devastated families sought to visit the crash site to confirm the fate of their loved ones. Officials declined the requests, citing security concerns. Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok visited the airport to offer condolences and address the families’ demands for real-time updates. “Please think about our families first,” he requested, to which Mr. Choi replied briefly, “I understand.”
All flights at Mu’an Airport were canceled due to the accident. Jeju Air has apologized and promised full cooperation in the investigation.
