Mourners pay condolences to victims of a Jeju Air plane crash at a joint memorial altar set up at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, Wednesday. Yonhap

A 42-year-old woman surnamed Jung visited Muan International Airport, Thursday, with her two young sons from Suwon in Gyeonggi Province to pay condolences to the victims of the tragic Jeju Air plane crash.

"I saw a broadcast that there were children among the bereaved families in the temporary shelter here, so I brought chocolate bars for them just in case," she said. "I felt guilty greeting the New Year comfortably with my family at home, so I came to the joint memorial altar with my two sons early in the morning."

Kim, 51, an office worker from South Gyeongsang Province, took a day off to visit the airport.

"I visited the memorial altar at the airport late last night, and then spent the night nearby and came here again," he said. "I feel really bad for the bereaved families who are staying at the airport without having a proper New Year's day. The whole nation is mourning together, so I hope that helps."

The joint memorial altar at Muan Airport was filled with mourners who gathered from the early hours on Thursday to console the bereaved families.

They left letters and notes for the victims and the bereaved families, attaching them to the rail of a staircase near the memorial altar.

Some people who were unable to visit the memorial altar in person made pre-paid arrangements for food and drinks at coffee shops and restaurants inside the airport, providing support for the bereaved families and volunteers there.

Mourners line up around Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province to visit a joint memorial altar for victims of a Jeju Air plane crash, Tuesday. Yonhap

Koreans from all walks of life gathered at Muan airport from across the country on New Year's day, Wednesday.

As of 1 p.m. that day, the line of mourners queuing for the memorial altar at the airport stretched over 600 meters outside, causing temporary communication disruptions due to the heavy traffic.

In response, Muan County sent a safety notice at 12:27 p.m. to inform the public of the congestion and guide the mourners to visit other memorial altars outside the airport.

The government declared a week-long national mourning period, lasting until Saturday, and municipalities across the country have set up a total of 88 joint memorial altar sites.

Meanwhile, the first funeral for the victims of the plane crash took place in Gwangju, Thursday, five days after the disaster, and a funeral ceremony for a 45-year-old Thai victim was held later in the day.

So far, the bodies of 21 victims have been returned to their families, and funeral arrangements are currently underway for nine of them.

Meanwhile, Jeonnam Provincial Police carried out search and seizure operations at Muan Airport, the Seoul office of Jeju Air, and the Muan office of the Busan Regional Office of Aviation, according to officials. The search warrant was issued on charges of professional negligence resulting in death.

On Sunday, a Jeju Air passenger jet from Bangkok crashed into the outer wall of Muan Airport during a belly landing, resulting in the deaths of 179 out of the 181 people on board.

Mourners write messages of condolence for the victims of a Jeju Air plane crash at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, Tuesday. Yonhap