Lost shoes, abandoned phones: Time stands still at site of Dec. 29 Muan air disaster

By KTimes

A 60-year-old mother stands rooted at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, unable to walk away from the site where she lost her 35-year-old son. On Feb. 14, 48 days after the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster, Na softly said, "I'm staying here, just in case they find even one more of my son's belongings."

She has endured nights in a temporary tent shelter set up inside the airport, unsure when her son's belongings might surface. The only items she has are one slipper and a single sneaker.

"All I have left of him are a slipper and one sneaker," Na said. She even quit her job after the funeral to return to the airport, clinging to the hope of recovering more keepsakes. "I just want something more to hold on to."

As the 49th-day memorial service approached on Feb. 15, the airport remained frozen in time. Families of the 179 victims continue their search for belongings, with some staying at the site, clinging to the hope of finding even one more item connected to their lost loved ones.

They believe these personal items might hold a clue that could bring them one step closer to uncovering the truth of what happened that day.

As public interest in the disaster fades, they continue to plead with authorities to uncover the truth. "This tragedy is not over yet. We need to know why it happened," said one bereaved family member.

Of the 1,200 items recovered from the crash site, about 500 have been returned to families, while 300 remain unclaimed at the airport.

Searching for belongings

The remaining 400 were too badly damaged to identify. The storage facility, once a calcium chloride warehouse, maintains strict temperature and humidity control to preserve the items. Inside, rows of plastic bins hold shoes, clothes, phones and bags — all carefully packed and labeled.

"When I go through these belongings, it's like I'm talking to my daughter one last time," said one grieving mother. "These aren't just things — they're pieces of our children's lives."

Understanding the families' desperate longing, police officers have tirelessly worked to return the victims' belongings. They sifted through the ashes, meticulously restoring items so they could be identified.

Hundreds of single shoes were measured and matched in search of their missing pairs. Officers cross-referenced luggage tags with passenger lists and even identified owners by the names found on presentation files stored in USB devices.

After witnessing one grieving parent break down while holding a bloodstained garment and sobbing, "It still smells like my child," police decided not to wash any clothing, only removing moisture to preserve every trace of the victims for their families.

Lee In-hwan, a 44-year-old officer at the South Jeolla Police Agency, filled his private KakaoTalk chat with photos of the victims taken during their lifetimes. He wanted to memorize their faces, hoping to match them with any recovered belongings.

One grieving family had tearfully pleaded, "Please, find the wedding ring." Lee studied the photo whenever he had a spare moment. During a search, he spotted the ring and immediately recognized it, returning it to the victim's family. "I just want to give the families every last trace of their loved ones," Lee said.

'We will remember longer'

The runway at Muan International Airport remains closed. The crumpled wreckage of the plane has been removed, but the mound of earth at the end of the runway, where the aircraft crashed, remains unchanged since the day of the tragedy.

Faded black and pink ribbons, tied to the fence near the runway, flutter in the wind alongside notes of condolence left by mourners. The wreaths laid at the site have long since withered. Occasionally, visitors stop their cars, stand by the fence and bow their heads in silent tribute.

"So many people lost their lives here, but it feels like the world is forgetting too quickly," Yoon, 24, from Mokpo, said. "I came here today to remember a little longer.

Families echoed that plea. "The public must stay engaged so the government finds the true cause and puts proper safety measures in place," said a father who lost his child.

Park Han-shin, a representative of the victims' families, stressed at the Feb. 15 memorial, "We need to uncover the cause so their sacrifice is not in vain."

Cho, who lost her mother in the crash, said, "We live in fear that this might happen to someone else if we just move on. This pain is unbearable. Please don't forget us."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.