The accident occurred in connection with the plane, which came from Bangkok, was to land just after 9 am local time. The plane, with 181 people on board, ran off the runway and crashed into a wall, after which it caught fire.
On pictures, large flames and thick, black smoke were seen rising from the plane.
"Passengers were thrown out of the plane after it collided with the wall, which makes the chance of survival small," says the local rescue service.
Two Survived
175 passengers and six crew members were on the plane – all except two have been confirmed dead.
The two who could be rescued from the plane were from the crew and were conscious without serious injuries.
The plane attempted to make an emergency landing, after the first landing attempt failed. For unknown reasons, the plane did not manage to deploy its landing gear.
The plane, a Boeing 737-8AS, appears to have failed to slow down after landing and crashed into the wall at high speed at the edge of the airport. A collision with birds is believed to have caused the problem with the landing gear.
The air traffic control tower issued a warning for bird collision at 08.57, one minute later the plane sent out the distress signal "Mayday". Five minutes after that, the crash occurred, writes Yonhap.
The plane is completely destroyed and only its rear part remains. Both black boxes have been found, according to authorities.
President on Site
The national police authority has sent nearly 170 forensic investigators to help identify the victims.
The plane belonged to the South Korean company Jeju Air and most passengers were Koreans. Two people were Thai citizens.
Jeju Air will do everything in its power to handle the accident, says a spokesperson for the company to Yonhap.
The plane has been in operation for 15 years without any accident history.
The manufacturer of the plane, Boeing, has contacted the airline and is ready to support, writes the company on X.
South Korea's acting president Choi Sang-Mok is on site in Muan. He has convened an emergency meeting with the government and promises full support to bereaved families.
No comforting words will be enough for the families who have been affected by such a tragedy, he says.
Choi became acting president just a few days ago, in the midst of South Korea's ongoing political crisis.
