The government will implement a unified response system for large-scale aircraft accidents, encompassing survivor rescue, victim recovery, identification, and family support. A scientific identification system, known as the 'Korean Disaster Victim Identification (K-DVI),' will also be introduced.
On September 7, the government announced the establishment of a 'Manual for Aircraft Accident Victim Recovery,' developed by a joint task force comprising relevant ministries.
This manual was created in response to the need for a systematic approach to recover victims' remains following the December 29 passenger aircraft disaster. In May, a joint task force was formed, led by the National Fire Agency and including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the National Police Agency, the National Forensic Service, and the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Committee.
The manual outlines a nine-step process from the occurrence of an accident to the completion of victim recovery. The steps include: initial site control and fire suppression, victim rescue, site assessment and joint situation assessment meetings, setting search parameters and forming joint recovery teams, pre-recovery training and preparation, search and recovery operations, dismantling large debris and recovering remains, transporting to temporary storage, verifying passenger lists and identifying victims, and finally, handing over remains to families and declaring the end of recovery operations.
In the early stages of an accident, the priority will be on rescuing survivors and minimizing casualties. Efforts will focus on site control, fire suppression, victim search and rescue, and emergency medical transport. However, remains, personal belongings, and aircraft debris will be preserved in their initial state to aid in future recovery and investigation efforts.
Once rescue and emergency medical transport are completed, the process will transition to victim recovery following consultations among relevant agencies. A joint site assessment and situation assessment meeting will be held to determine the scale of the accident, debris distribution, and potential hazards, which will inform the search area and recovery methods.
The accident site will be divided into grid sections, with joint search and recovery teams ensuring thorough coverage of each area. When remains are found, their location and condition will be documented, and a unique recovery number will be assigned. After disinfection, the remains will be transported to temporary storage, with all processes from discovery to transport, examination, and identification meticulously recorded.
The identification process will utilize the K-DVI system, comparing post-mortem data such as fingerprints, DNA, and dental records with pre-mortem medical and dental records, as well as family genetic reference samples, to legally confirm identities.
Efforts to communicate with and honor the families of victims will also be strengthened. From the start of the recovery process, families will be continuously informed about the progress of search and recovery operations and the identification process. Remains and identified personal belongings will be respectfully returned to families. Before declaring the end of the recovery process, families will be thoroughly briefed on the recovery process, results, and condition of the remains.
The government plans to continuously assess the manual's effectiveness through joint training and drills involving relevant agencies, incorporating improvements identified during training and actual disaster response.
A government official stated, “Rescuing even one more survivor is our top priority, and the recovery of remains must be conducted with dignity for the victims and respect for their families. This manual lays the groundwork for agencies to clearly understand their roles and respond as a unified team from the initial stages of an accident to the conclusion of recovery operations, and we will enhance on-site response capabilities through ongoing training and joint exercises.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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