South korea plane crash jeju air crash youngest victim identified 20250101 p5z9rq.html – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
Advertisement
Advertisement
This was published 1 year ago

Youngest victim of deadly South Korean plane crash identified as three-year-old on first trip overseas

April Glover
April Glover

Powered by

The youngest victim of the Jeju Air plane crash which killed 179 people was a three-year-old boy on his first overseas holiday.

Ko Yoonwoo was returning from a holiday with his parents Jin Lee Seon, 37, and Kang Ko, 43, when all three died in the horror crash in South Korea.

Heart wrenching photos of the toddler on the way to the holiday to Thailand with his parents were shared on Instagram in the days before the disaster.

Advertisement

READ MORE: Aviation experts struggle to find cause of plane crash that killed 179

Youngest victim of South Korea airplane crash identified

Ko Yoonwoo, three, was travelling with his parents when he died in the crash. Instagram/@kkangkko

"The whole family's first overseas DAY 1," one translated caption, posted by his father, reads.

"My son is going overseas for the first time in a night flight.

"First stamp on the first passport lol! Went to the zoo and walked with the tiger and climbed on the tiger."

Another post showed the three-year-old pictured with his passport at the airport.

Youngest victim of South Korea airplane crash identified

The toddler's father shares images on Instagram of their family holiday in the days and hours before the disaster. Instagram/@kkangkko

Youngest victim of South Korea airplane crash identified

Ko Yoonwoo with his parents Jin Lee Seon, 37, and Kang Ko, 43. Instagram/@kkangkko

Advertisement

The final image of Ko Yoonwoo was posted hours before the Jeju Air aircraft crashed into a concrete barrier and burst into flames at Muan International Airport.

"Before and after going in the tiger den," the photo's caption reads.

Jeju Air flight 7C2216 was touching down in Muan International Airport after flying out of Bangkok when it belly-landed, skidded off the runway and erupted into a fireball shortly after 9am local time.

Advertisement
Advertisement

A total of 179 out of 181 people – 85 women, 84 men and 10 others whose genders weren't immediately identifiable – died in the fire, the South Korean fire agency said.

Two crew members survived and are being treated for injuries.

It marks the deadliest plane crash on South Korean soil in history.

A total of 179 people died in the deadliest air disaster on South Korean soil. Getty

Advertisement

The BBC reports grieving families are still camping out at Muan International Airport to await the return of their loved ones' bodies.

Officials are still working to identify the deceased following the crash on Sunday.

South Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok has reportedly asked investigators to disclose findings to the bereaved families as quickly as possible.

The exact cause of the crash still remains unknown.

email icon

Contact us

Share a tip-off, video or photo with us

Most viewed in World

More to explore