A plane crash on December 29th has left a South Korean community in mourning, with several K-pop fans believed to be among the victims. Jeju Air flight 7C2216, carrying passengers back from Bangkok, Thailand, attempted to land at Muan International Airport but tragically crashed on the runway.
Cause of Crash Under Investigation
The cause of the accident remains under investigation, with initial reports suggesting a landing gear malfunction. National Fire Agency officials are currently working to determine the exact cause.
Uncertain Fate for Passengers Returning from Awards Ceremony
News of the crash sent shockwaves through social media and online communities, particularly among those who attended the “2024 Asia Artist Awards (AAA)” in Bangkok. Many attendees were scheduled to return to Korea on Jeju Air flight 7C2216, sparking concerns about their safety. Online posts revealed attempts by worried friends and families to verify the well-being of loved ones who had been at the awards ceremony.
Officials and Families Among the Passengers
The B737-800 aircraft carried a total of 181 people, including 175 passengers and six crew members. The vast majority (173) were South Korean citizens, with two passengers being Thai nationals. Sadly, only two crew members were rescued alive by fire authorities as of 11:10 AM local time.
Package Tour Included Families and Young Travelers
The flight was part of a Christmas-themed package tour offered by a small travel agency. Tragically, the passenger list included many families, with the largest groups being individuals in their 50s and 60s (around 40 passengers each). The youngest victim was confirmed to be a 3-year-old boy born in 2021.
Death Toll Rises as Authorities Work to Identify Victims
As of now, the confirmed death toll from the Jeju Air plane crash stands at 179. The majority of passengers were South Korean citizens returning from a year-end trip to Bangkok.
Our Thoughts and Prayers Go Out to the Victims
This devastating accident has caused immense heartache and loss. Our deepest condolences go out to all the victims and their families during this incredibly difficult time.
To know the latest developments about the K-Pop, K-Drama and Other Korean news, keep an eye on VvipTimes, and allow notifications from us to get instant updates on your device.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
