Delayed transfer of remains suggests severity of damage to victims‘ bodies in Jeju Air crash

MUAN, South Jeolla Province -- Two days have passed since the Jeju Air crash, but authorities are still struggling to release victims' remains to families due to the extent of the damage.
Among 179 victims, only four individuals, whose bodies remained "intact," were handed over to the families after the bereaved confirmed the victims' identities on Monday night. The remaining bodies were severely damaged, and families will have to wait a little longer for them to be returned.
Transport Minister Park Sang-woo announced Tuesday that the identities of 174 bodies among 179 victims are confirmed, while five individuals are yet to be identified.
The minister, head investigator and the representative of the bereaved families jointly informed the families of the five unidentified victims that they have to wait longer to bring their loved ones home.
“Even after confirming their identities, the bodies need to be put together,” said Na Won-oh, the head of Jeonnam Provincial Police’s investigation team. “The officials are trying their best to search and return the bodies as close to their original form as possible.”
The police announced that they are expecting to hand over the bodies of the five unidentified victims on Jan. 6 at the earliest.
Authorities said they collected more than 600 dismembered body parts at the crash site.
The Jeju Air plane crashed at Muan International Airport on landing Sunday morning, claiming 179 lives. It was destroyed after it collided with the perimeter wall and burst into flames.
The representative for the families asked for fellow bereaved families' understanding, as it would take time to prepare the bodies in a manner acceptable for release. "It will take more time to sort out, stitch and put 606 pieces together. The bodies can be released next Monday at the earliest," he said, adding that he is well aware of the families' desire to bring the deceased home as soon as possible.

The police said it would put its utmost effort into completing the DNA testing and confirming the identities of the remaining bodies by Friday.
“According to the director of National Forensic Service, the examination was scheduled to be finished on Jan. 8, 2025. The National Forensic Service does not make the official announcements if there is the slightest percentage of error,” Na explained.
“Because this is such a grave matter and a national-level concern, the National Forensic Service promised to do its best to complete the examination by Friday,” the investigator said, pleading with the families to understand the schedule could be delayed by machine errors and other verification processes.

The representative of the bereaved families requested other families to share their thoughts on the possible decisions that can be made if additional body parts are discovered after the bodies have been released on Jan. 6.
“We can decide to give up on the remaining parts, ask the officials to send the bodies home, or request the government to build a memorial cenotaph and have the victims rest there,” the representative said, explaining the issue was being discussed with the land minister.
While sympathizing with the bereaved families' frustration over the insufficient measures taken by the government authorities and police after the tragic plane crash, the representative again asked the families to wait patiently because the process required more time.
Meanwhile, the land minister said the medical examination was complete for 28 bodies, allowing some bodies to be released to families.
“The bodies of these 28 victims can be handed over to the families after they sign the documents, starting from 2 p.m. The families can also choose to wait for the bodies to be further recovered,” the land minister said.