South Korea in mourning mood following plane crash; New Year's events canceled across the board

Following the accident that occurred at Muan Airport in southwestern South Korea on the 29th of last month, all events scheduled for the New Year holidays in South Korea were canceled, and the New Year began in a mood of mourning.
The Jeju Air passenger plane, carrying 181 passengers and crew members, departed from Bangkok and approached Muan International Airport at around 8:30 a.m. on the 29th of last month. After the control tower gave permission for landing,
The pilot of the airliner reported a bird strike. The plane sent out a distress signal, and the first attempt to land was a "go-around."
The aircraft's wheels did not function properly, and a second attempt at a belly landing failed, causing the aircraft to leave the runway, crash into a wall, and burst into flames.
179 crew members and passengers died in the accident.
It was the biggest loss of life for a Korean aircraft since the 1997 Korean Air crash in Guam, which killed 229 people.
It was literally a scene of carnage. The passenger plane that had crashed into the airport's outer wall only had the rear fuselage and part of the tail left, enough to make out its shape. The entire plane, which had split in half, was completely in pieces.
Rescue workers working to recover the body were unanimous in saying, "I have never seen such a cruel scene in my life."
Jeju Air President Kim I-bae held a press conference at a hotel near Gimpo Airport in Seoul on the 29th of last month.
"We pray for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives in the accident and offer our deepest apologies to their families," he said. Regarding the cause of the accident, Kim said, "We don't know it at this point," and added, "We feel a deep sense of responsibility.
A memorial for the victims was set up in a gymnasium near the airport on the 30th of last month. Visitors are offering flowers and incense to mourn the victims. Currently, Yoon Seo-gyeol (
Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister for Economy and Minister of Strategy and Finance, who is acting for President Seok-yeol, also paid his respects on the same day and wrote in his condolence book, "In memory of the 179 people who died, we will work to create a safer country."
The cause of the accident has been suggested to be a bird strike or a malfunction of the landing gear, and the South Korean government
The investigation committee is working with Boeing, the American manufacturer of the plane, to investigate the incident. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism sent the plane's black box to an analysis agency on the 30th of last month.
The flight recorder, which records flight data such as speed and altitude, and the voice recorder, which records audio from within the cockpit, will be analyzed to determine the situation just before the accident.
The accident has plunged South Korea into mourning, with businesses and local governments cancelling New Year's events to show their condolences. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has announced that it will hold a 10-minute walk from Posinga in the city center.
The annual New Year's Eve event at Bosingak was canceled, but the performances before and after the event were canceled. In an atmosphere different from usual New Year's Eve, visitors prayed for peace and tranquility in the new year.
The fireworks display planned for New Year's Eve on the coast of Gangneung City, Gangwon Province, in the southeast, known as a famous spot for watching the first sunrise of the year, has been canceled.
The year-end countdown event that was scheduled to be held at the Jeju Dream Tower Resort Complex in Jeju has been canceled.
The impact has also spread to the entertainment industry, with popular K-pop groups such as the girl group "IVE" and the boy group "SEVENTEEN" cancelling their early morning climbs of Mt. Sunrise.
All of the group's events have been canceled. Year-end specials have also been postponed. Meanwhile, the K-pop group was scheduled to appear at the "Sparkling! Japan Record Awards" held at the New National Theatre in Tokyo on the 30th of last month.
A total of four groups performed. The members performed wearing black mourning insignia on their costumes. All the groups scheduled to perform at the Red and White Song Battle on the 31st also appeared.
The government has designated a "national mourning period" until the 4th of this month. Incense offerings have been set up all over the country to mourn the victims, and many people are coming to pay their respects.
The procession of people continued.