The tragic crash of Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 has claimed the lives of 179 passengers, including a 30-year-old journalist and her 33-year-old husband, who were celebrating a career milestone. The devastating accident has revealed heartbreaking stories of passengers traveling to mark special moments with family and loved ones.
The flight, which crashed while returning to South Korea, was carrying 181 people, with only two survivors. Among the victims was the young reporter from a Gwangju-based media outlet, who had been rewarded with a trip to Bangkok for her exceptional work. The couple had been enjoying a vacation in Thailand and had shared a photo of a hotel swimming pool just before their ill-fated flight. She had captioned it, “The weather here is so great, it’s like early summer,” unaware that tragedy would soon strike on their return journey.
Another victim was a 43-year-old man on his first overseas trip with his wife and three-year-old son. In a poignant Instagram post before boarding, he had shared a photo of his son looking out the window, excited about the trip. Following his death, tributes poured in from the Kia Tigers professional baseball team, where the man worked in the promotions department. Retired pitcher Kim Byung-hyun expressed his sorrow, stating, “It gives me great pain… and my condolences go to all the bereaved family members.”
Among the other victims were a couple who had just married and were returning from their honeymoon, a woman who was about to get married, and a father who was traveling with his two sons to celebrate his older son’s university acceptance. One of the victims was also a 50-year-old widow, who had survived a year of cancer treatment and was embarking on her first overseas trip since her husband’s passing. The oldest victim, a 79-year-old man, was returning from a family trip with his wife, daughters, son-in-law, granddaughter, and grandsons.
The crash has left the families of the victims grappling with the loss of loved ones, many of whom were celebrating joyous occasions, making the tragedy even more heart-wrenching.
