"Son taking a night flight for the first trip abroad, first stamp on the first passport!"
This is a post by Mr. Ko (43), a KIA Tigers promotion team employee, on Instagram under the title "The family's first overseas day (DAY) 1." Mr. Ko, his wife, and son were traveling to Thailand and boarded a Jeju Air flight departing from Bangkok in the early hours of the 29th. They tragically passed away due to an accident at Muan Airport.
Mr. Ko shared travel photos on Instagram with his son. The photos include family pictures taken at Bangkok's temple, observatory, and zoo, and a view of his son's back looking out the airplane window. Regarding his son, he wrote, "Went to the zoo, walked with tigers, rode a tiger, an elephant, saw a crocodile, a flamingo, and all the animals he wanted to see up close, reaching the peak of excitement," and added, "Thanks to my son having fun, I was happy."
Mr. Ko reportedly planned the trip to celebrate Christmas, the end of the year, and KIA Tigers' victory in the Korean Series this year. Commemorative messages like "May your family be happy there," and "Be a wonderful husband and father in heaven," were posted on Mr. Ko's Instagram comments and baseball-related online communities.
Jung Woo-yeong, SBS sports commentator, posted on Instagram about Mr. Ko, stating, "We waited until the end for a miraculous return, but with the news that all, except the rescued, had perished, our last hope disappeared." He added, "Mr. Ko was extremely efficient in work, so everyone in our company's baseball broadcast team liked him, including myself."
On the 30th at Muan Airport, bereaved families were waiting anxiously for the retrieval of their loved ones' bodies. Mr. Kim Jang-soo (71) lost his youngest son, aged 35, who was on a Christmas trip to Thailand with friends and died in the accident.
Mr. Kim Jang-soo described his son as "Studious and had good relationships with friends. He was indeed a kind and loving youngest son and was also very close to me." He recalled, "The last time we contacted before the flight took off, he said he would bring lots of gifts." He lamented, "(Yesterday morning) my wife woke me up crying. Watching the news, we must have called a hundred times," adding, "My heart is shattered."
Mr. Kim Young-heon lost three family members in the accident. Stationed in India as an expatriate, he had traveled with his family in Thailand. After returning to India on a flight departing at 10:30 p.m. on the 28th, his three family members took a Jeju Air flight bound for Muan at 1:30 a.m. on the 29th and faced the tragedy.
Mr. Kim Young-heon, his 80-year-old father's birthday being the reason, traveled with a group including nine family members visiting Bangkok and five people in their 50s from Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, totaling 18 people. Mr. Kim said, "I still can't forget the voice of a six-year-old child who tagged along because it was the grandfather's birthday."
Mr. Kim Min-gi (36) was waiting at Muan Airport because a couple, work colleagues, were among the accident victims. Mr. Kim Min-gi expressed, "They were a couple in our company and newlyweds, and experiencing such an event is devastating," adding, "Seeing the grieving families crying is heartbreaking and overwhelming."