Tragic Last Image of Young Boy in South Korea Crash That Took 179 Lives
A tragic plane crash involving Jeju Air in South Korea resulted in 179 fatalities, including a 3-year-old boy named Ko Yoonwoo, who was on his first family vacation abroad. Heartbreaking photos shared on Instagram depicted the family’s joyful moments in Thailand, enjoying sightseeing and elephant rides.
The crash occurred on Sunday when the plane slammed into a concrete barrier and ignited. Yoonwoo, along with his parents Kang Ko and Jin Lee Seon, were among the victims. Video footage showed the Boeing 737-800 skidding with non-functional landing gear and exploding.
Only two crew members survived. Rescue efforts involved 1,570 personnel. The black box has been recovered for investigation, and Muan Airport’s runway will remain closed until January 1st.
The incident led to widespread grief, with tributes being paid by Ko’s colleagues from the Kia Tigers baseball team and local media covering their planned Christmas celebration in South Korea.
An aviation expert, David Learmount, has asserted that the crash could have been survivable if not for a fatal error involving the placement of a concrete structure. This structure housed a navigation system antenna and was positioned 250 meters past the end of the runway.
Other airports typically use collapsible metal supports for such systems to avoid fatal collisions. Learmount praised the pilot’s actions during the landing but criticized the non-collapsible concrete structure for exacerbating the disaster.
Investigations are ongoing, with both black box components recovered, and a national mourning period has been declared.
Families of the victims, which included five children under ten, are now waiting for the identification and transfer of bodies. Jeju Air has apologized and vowed to support the affected families.
This incident is the deadliest aviation disaster to hit South Korea since 1997, when a Korean Airlines Boeing 747 crashed in the Guam jungle, leaving 228 dead.
