Search operations at the site of the Jeju Air plane crash concluded on Saturday, one week after the devastating accident claimed 179 lives.
Officials announced that all 179 bodies have been recovered, with 151 already returned to their families along with identified personal belongings.
The remaining 25 bodies, excluding those of a family of three, are expected to be returned to their families on Sunday, South Korean media reported. Officials said further discovery of bodies or personal belongings is unlikely.
The crash occurred when the flight, carrying 181 passengers and crew from Thailand to South Korea, issued a mayday call before belly-landing and slamming into a barrier.
Only two flight attendants survived the incident, which left the aircraft almost entirely destroyed except for the tail section.
The cause of the crash remains unknown, but investigators have pointed to several possibilities, including a bird strike, faulty landing gear, and the plane striking a localiser structure – an antenna array housed in a concrete wall to help pilots maintain the correct approach path – at the end of the runway.
South Korean police, which has also been investigating the incident, raided the offices of Jeju Air and the Muan airport operator earlier this week, securing evidence such as the airport’s localiser and communication records between the control tower and the pilot before the crash.
South Korea’s Transport Ministry confirmed that investigators have made progress in analysing the cockpit voice recorder recovered from the wreckage which may shed light on the events leading up to the crash.
The crash has prompted the South Korean government to order emergency inspections of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by domestic carriers. Investigators are focusing on the landing gear, which appeared to have malfunctioned during the Jeju Air crash.
The tragedy has shaken South Korea, prompting the acting president to call for a comprehensive review of airline operations and airport safety infrastructure. The crash occurred at Muan International Airport, where the localiser at the end of the runway is under scrutiny for potentially exacerbating the crash’s impact.
Jeju Air, facing significant public backlash, has seen a sharp drop in its stock value and over 60,000 flight cancellations. The company is cooperating with authorities as investigations continue.
This incident marks one of deadliest aviation disasters in South Korea.
