Citizens Visit Memorial in Muan “I Want to Give My Toy to the Friend in Heaven”
On the morning of Dec 30th, starting at 11:00 AM, a joint memorial altar was set up at Muan Sports Park in Jeollanam-do for the victims of the Jeju Air plane crash. The site saw not only the families and relatives of the victims but also many citizens paying their respects.
Park Hye-jin (28, female) visited the memorial with her 3-year-old son, Lee Ra-on. Park said, “The youngest victim was the same age as my eldest child, and I felt heartbroken upon hearing the news. I’ve lived in Muan for 20 years, and it’s hard to believe something like this happened so close to home. When I explained the situation to my son, he wanted to bring his toy to give it to the friend in heaven. It’s one of his favorite toys.”
Her son, clutching his mother’s hand with one hand and holding a red toy car with the other, solemnly bowed at the altar alongside his mother.
The memorial was marked by a calm and respectful atmosphere. Visitors followed the guidance of onsite staff, signing the guestbook and offering flowers and incense to pay their condolences. Many bowed their heads and wiped away tears.
Jung (47), a resident of the Muan area, shared their disbelief, “I couldn’t believe the news when I saw the article yesterday. Since then, I’ve felt compelled to come. However, I didn’t visit the airport yesterday because I thought everyone would be busy dealing with the recovery of remains and identification of the victims. Seeing the name plaques here in person makes it even more heart-wrenching.”
Some families visited with their children to instill a sense of empathy and awareness. Park (40, female) visited with her husband and their 6- and 8-year-old children. She said, “We were on our way to Jindo, Jeollanam-do for a New Year’s trip, but we couldn’t just continue traveling after such a tragedy occurred nearby. We stopped here to pay our respects. I hope my children learn to empathize with and care about social issues like this in the future.”
Meanwhile, political leaders also visited the memorial. Acting President Choi Sang-mok, People Power Party Floor Leader Kwon Seong-dong and Democratic Party Leader Lee Jae-myung were among those who came to express their condolences. In addition to Muan, joint memorial altars were set up at Jeollanam-do Provincial Office, Jeollabuk-do Provincial Office and Gwangju’s May 18 Democracy Square.
