One victim's remains, others' belongings discovered following new investigation into Jeju Air crash
Published: 26 Feb. 2026, 17:50
![Firefighters conduct search operations at the wreckage site of the Jeju Air aircraft at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla, on Dec. 30, 2024. [EPA/YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/02/26/04e3bae2-2a99-4d12-b2cd-edb311a179ee.jpg)
Firefighters conduct search operations at the wreckage site of the Jeju Air aircraft at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla, on Dec. 30, 2024. [EPA/YONHAP]
One set of remains believed to belong to a victim has been discovered during a renewed inspection of debris from the Jeju Air passenger plane crash in 2024.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency’s forensic team found what is assumed to be a victim’s remains while sorting through wreckage from the aircraft on Thursday, according to the bereaved families’ association for the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla that occurred on Dec. 29, 2024.
Authorities plan to conduct testing with DNA samples provided by the bereaved families to confirm the identity of the remains.
The Land Ministry and the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board are currently reinvestigating the wreckage, which has been stored behind the airport fire station at Muan International Airport.
The latest probe began on Feb. 12, during which around 10 additional items belonging to victims — including clothing — were also found.
Bereaved families have argued that the initial recovery efforts were insufficient.
Kim Yu-jin, the head of the families’ association, said that if recovery operations had been properly conducted immediately after the accident, victims’ belongings and remains would not have been discovered so late.
“A thorough investigation into the cause of the crash must now be carried out through the new investigation,” Kim said.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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