Out of 179 victims of the Jeju Air disaster, 176 have begun funeral procedures.
According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on the 5th, funeral services for victims were held in Gwangju and Haenam, South Jeolla Province, among other locations.
At a funeral home in Haenam, a service was held for Thai university student A, who boarded the passenger plane to visit mother living in Korea and became a victim. A's remains were temporarily placed in a memorial park in the country while discussions were underway regarding repatriation.
Funeral procedures for a family of nine who went on an octogenarian celebration trip commenced at funeral homes in Yeonggwang and Gwangju, South Jeolla Province. Funerals were also held for five Deputy Directors from the South Jeolla Province Office of Education who perished while traveling together in Haenam and Suncheon, South Jeolla Province.
Authorities handed over the victims' remains to the bereaved families starting from Dec. 30, the day after the accident on Dec. 29 of last year. Although some remains were recovered early, families who suffered the accident together sometimes delayed funerals to wait for remaining family members. However, by the previous day, most of the family remains had been handed over together.
The remains of the three victims not yet placed in a funeral home are prepared for handover. Authorities expect that by the 6th, all victims will be placed and funerals will commence.
As most bereaved families wish to conduct funerals in their hometowns, procedures are underway nationwide beyond South Jeolla Province, where the accident occurred, including in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Gwangju, Daejeon, and North Jeolla Province. The respective local governments have designated dedicated officials to support the funeral, farewell ceremony, cremation, and placement in memorial facilities for each victim.
Gwangju City and South Jeolla Province, where the most victims are, are assisting with funeral preparations, such as extending crematorium operating hours. Gwangju City extended the Yeongnak Park crematorium operating hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Crematoriums in five locations—Mokpo, Suncheon, Yeosu, Gwangyang, and Haenam in South Jeolla Province—are also set to operate 24 hours.