Images have emerged of the first named victims who died in the horrifying plane crash in South Korea on Sunday, including a young boy who was on holiday with his family
The first victims of the horrifying plane crash that claimed 179 lives in South Korea have been named and pictured.
Of the 181 people on board the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800, 179 were killed after the plane came off the runway and smashed into a barrier at Muan International Airport on Sunday morning. Harrowing footage showed the plane bursting into flames.
A young boy was reportedly killed alongside his parents Kang Ko, 43, and Jin Lee Seon, 37. They were returning from their first family holiday together. The couple had shared images from their holiday on Instagram, including one showing the young boy excitedly looking out of a plane window as they set off on their travels.
Another image showed the family at the airport, reports Chosun Biz. It was captioned: “My son is going abroad for the first time on a night flight, and his first passport has no stamp!”
Mr Ko reportedly worked in PR for the Kia Tigers baseball team. Sports broadcaster Jung Woo-young shared a post on Instagram paying tribute to him, writing: “He was so good at his job that everyone on our company’s baseball broadcasting team liked him.
“I was one of them, of course. We waited until the end for news of a miraculous return, but with the news of the deaths of everyone except the rescuers, even our last hope disappeared. In the end, he never returned. Not even his family.”
Sirithon Chaue, 22, was one of the two Thai nationals who died in the crash. Everyone else on board is thought to have been Korean. Sirithon’s mother was waiting for her at the airport when the plane went up in flames. Family and friends have been mourning her in the Thai village of Chiang Rai since the news emerged.
Her uncle Theerapat Chaue, 37, said she was travelling to Korea to visit her mother who has worked there for 10 years. He added that she “dreamed” of working as an air hostess in Korea.
He went on: “Her mother was waiting at the airport and at first she thought the plane malfunction was minor. But then she saw the videos of what happened on social media. She was in shock and panic.
“The airline has offered to provide tickets for myself and my two brothers to go to South Korea for the funeral. But we may bring her ashes home.”