First day of the New Year for families of Muan plane crach victims

[Anchor]

The bereaved families went to the site of the disaster on the first day of the new year.

In front of the charred remains of the airplane, they placed rice cake soup and alcohol, along with a single chrysanthemum.

The airport was covered with memorial notes.

Reporter Kim Hyun-joo has the story.

[Report]

More than 700 bereaved family members lined up and stepped outside the airport terminal.

For the first time in four days since the disaster, they headed to the accident site.

All that remains on the runway are the blackened wreckage and the tail of the aircraft.

They set up a small altar in front of it, offering rice cake soup and placing a chrysanthemum.

However, they lacked the strength to pour a drink, and ended up dropping it.

At the briefing of the accident recovery headquarters, the heart-wrenching cries of the bereaved families continued.

They just want to hold a proper funeral as soon as possible.

[Victim's Family/Voice Altered: "I love you so much, sister. I can only think of what I couldn't do for you. I know it's hard for everyone. Please, I beg you, hurry up. It's so hard."]

On the stairs leading to the waiting room where the bereaved families are, memorial notes for the victims are densely posted.

"Brother, you worked hard. Mom, I will keep in touch so you won't be bored," and there are also final letters from the bereaved families that they couldn't deliver.

The bereaved families are facing unimaginable pain.

Still, to muster the strength to send off the victims on their final journey, chefs gathered from across the country prepared warm abalone porridge.

[Ahn Yoo-seong/Master Chef: "I thought porridge would be better than rice cake soup since it would be easier to swallow. I believe abalone porridge is food that can help them regain some strength."]

On the fourth day after the disaster, the new year for the bereaved families began like this.

This is KBS News Kim Hyun-joo.