A haunting photo of a three-year-old boy gazing out of the window has emerged, capturing the final moments of his life before the deadly South Korean plane crash. The child, identified as the youngest victim, perished alongside his parents in the tragedy that claimed 179 lives on Sunday.
Kang Ko, 43, his wife Jin Lee Seon, 37, and their son were killed when the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crashed while attempting an emergency landing at Muan International Airport, smashing into a wall and bursting into flames.
The boy, just three years old, had been on his first trip abroad â a family holiday to Thailand. It was meant to be a joyous celebration of Christmas and a milestone for Kang Ko, who worked in public relations for the Kia Tigers baseball team, following their championship win earlier this year.
Haunting final photo of boy, 3, youngest victim in South Korea plane crash
"My son is going abroad for the first time on a night flight, and his first passport has no stamp!" Ko wrote in a caption accompanying a photo of his son's unused passport posted on Instagram.
The father documented every moment of the trip, from sightseeing at a stunning Thai palace to the poignant image of the toddler peering out of the plane window on their flight to Bangkok.
Haunting final photo of boy, 3, youngest victim in South Korea plane crash
But their joyful vacation ended in a horrifying tragedy.
South Korean media described the boy as the youngest victim of the plane crash. The family's final holiday photos, shared on social media, encapsulate the loss of not just lives but dreams and futures.
"He was so good at his job that everyone on our company's baseball broadcasting team liked him," said sports broadcaster Jung Woo-young of Kang Ko in an online tribute. "We waited until the end for news of a miraculous return, but with the news of the deaths of everyone except the rescuers, even our last hope disappeared. In the end, he never returned. Not even his family."
Only two flight attendants survived the plane crash. The remains of 174 victims have been tentatively identified, Korea Times reported on Tuesday.
A team from the US National Transportation Safety Board and Boeing has also arrived at the scene of the disaster at Muan airport to assist with the investigation.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, considering factors such as a bird strike, bad weather and mechanical failure.
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