GWANGJU: The families of victims from the tragic Jeju Air plane crash gathered in mourning as the first funeral was held on Thursday, marking a somber milestone after the disaster at Muan International Airport in southwestern South Korea claimed 179 lives. The ceremony took place at a funeral parlor in Gwangju, approximately 270 kilometers south of Seoul, in honor of a victim whose identity has been withheld.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the body of the victim was handed over to the bereaved family on Monday after being recovered in relatively good condition. Later on Thursday, a separate funeral was scheduled for a 45-year-old Thai national who had boarded the ill-fated flight following a visit to their hometown.
So far, authorities have returned the bodies of 21 victims to their families, with funeral arrangements underway for nine of them. The disaster countermeasures authorities confirmed on Wednesday that they have successfully identified all the deceased, providing some measure of closure for the grieving families.