A KakaoTalk message from a passenger aboard the Jeju Air flight that crashed at Muan International Airport, informing a contact that the plane could not land due to a bird strike. Courtesy of a reader

A tragic Jeju Air plane crash occurred Sunday morning at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, claiming the lives of nearly everyone on board. The aircraft carrying 181 people attempted an emergency landing after a bird strike, according to a passenger's message.

A man who was waiting at the airport for a family member aboard the flight shared the last message he received.

At 9 a.m., just before the crash, his family member wrote via KakaoTalk: "A bird struck the wing and we can't land."

When the man asked how long this had been happening, the family member replied a minute later, "Just now. Should I make a will?" They have not been reachable since.

Authorities have set up a temporary morgue at the site and established communication networks with major hospitals in Gwangju to treat the injured. According to the fire department, an initial response was completed 43 minutes after the report was received, and by 9:46 a.m., search operations inside the aircraft were underway.

The crash is believed to have occurred when the plane's landing gear malfunctioned. It attempted to land but collided with an airport wall, sparking a fire. The crash killed 179 of the 181 people onboard, with only two survivors.

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