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Renewed search for unrecovered remains from Jeju Air crash halted after protests from families

Published: 14 Apr. 2026, 07:00

Police forces search for unrecovered remains from the Jeju Air passenger jet disaster from December 2024. [MUAN AIRPORT JEJU AIR TRAGEDY BEREAVED FAMILIES ASSOCIATION]

A renewed search for unrecovered remains from the Jeju Air crash from December 2024 was halted Monday after just one day, after bereaved families protested what they called chaotic field management and a lack of expertise.

The search had resumed near Muan International Airport in South Jeolla after additional remains were identified during a recent sorting of crash debris.

Police, the military, firefighters and the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board began reexamining a 26,776-square-meter (288,214-square-foot) site near the airport on Monday morning. The operation was launched after 74 additional remains from 44 victims were confirmed during the latest debris review.

The work stopped after the morning session, when families strongly objected to the way the search was being conducted.

“There is no command center overseeing the operation even though multiple agencies are involved, and that is causing serious confusion in command at the scene,” the families said. “There are also not enough specialists in remains recovery, so the work lacks professionalism.”

Questions also surfaced over whether the search method would work. Authorities had planned to dig 10 to 30 centimeters (4 to 12 inches) into the ground and sift the soil through screens, but the site's muddy conditions made that approach effectively unusable.

Police forces search for unrecovered remains from the Jeju Air passenger jet disaster from December 2024. [MUAN AIRPORT JEJU AIR TRAGEDY BEREAVED FAMILIES ASSOCIATION]

During the process, 12 objects believed to be remains and two personal belongings were found, but the use of different search methods by different agencies deepened the families’ mistrust.

Authorities said they would hold fresh talks among the participating agencies, standardize the search method and seek the families’ consent before resuming the work on Tuesday.

The Jeju Air crash happened at about 9:03 a.m. on Dec. 29, 2024, when a Jeju Air flight from Bangkok attempted a belly landing at Muan International Airport, struck a concrete embankment and exploded. Of the 181 people on board, 179 were killed.

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 PARK JONG-SUH [[email protected]]