Gov't vows to swiftly conclude search, recovery of remains in 2024 plane crash
Investigators search for remains near the 2024 Jeju Air plane crash site in Muan International Airport, South Jeolla Province, June 15. Yonhap
The government will conclude the ongoing search and recovery of the remains of victims in the 2024 Jeju Air plane crash in a precise, transparent and swift manner, it said Wednesday.
The government began combing the crash site again in April, more than a year after the crash, following complaints that many pieces of remains and items belonging to the victims remained unattended at the site, some even in ton bags or gunny sacks as if they were garbage.
"While communicating closely with the bereaved families, the government will mobilize all available resources and personnel under the interagency cooperation system to conclude the search in a precise, transparent and swift manner," the Office for Government Policy Coordination said in a release.
The office added, however, that the search could inevitably be delayed due to weather conditions.
"We are adjusting the scope of the search while focusing on areas where the possibility of additional recovery is high," the office said.
The Jeju Air crash on Dec. 29, 2024, killed 179 passengers and crew members when the jet made an emergency belly landing at Muan International Airport, about 290 kilometers south of Seoul, and erupted into flames after crashing into a concrete mound. It was the deadliest plane crash in Korea's history.
Since April, a total of 1,582 pieces of what were presumed to be remains or victims' belongings have been recovered.