PM visits Jeju Air crash site, seeks to comfort bereaved families

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook traveled to the site of a 2024 plane crash on Thursday to console bereaved families, who have been waiting for the remains of the 179 victims to be recovered and the cause of the disaster to be established. In a meeting with family members at Muan International Airport, approximately 290 kilometers south of Seoul, where the Jeju Air plane belly-landed and crashed into a concrete mount before bursting into flames on December 29, 2024, she expressed her deepest sympathy.

"It is hard to imagine what you have gone through," she said. As the government representative, Han acknowledged her responsibility in this matter. She noted that the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board was moved under her office's jurisdiction to ensure its independence and impartiality, as the bereaved families' primary concern is determining the exact cause of the crash.

Flowers were offered at the mourning altar set up at the airport. The recovery of the remains and belongings of the victims is still underway as the government continues to work on the investigation.