
In the tragic aftermath of the December 2216 crash of Jeju Airlines Flight 29, which killed 175 passengers and four crew members, along with grieving family members, including young children, people gathered at Muan International Airport in South Korea's South Jeolla Province for a long and tortuous vigil as they waited for news of the fate of their loved ones.
Recognizing the unique vulnerability of young children to the distressing events that have led to a period of national mourning in South Korea, international Buddhist NGO ThePromise quickly organized a child-friendly space to provide comfort and support during this emotionally challenging experience.
“Children need special protection and care, both physically and mentally, compared to adults,” noted ThePromise’s chairman, Buddhist monk Venerable Myojang, in a statement shared with BDG. “This play space has been designed as a safe haven with psychology experts on hand to ensure that both parents and children feel comfortable.”
“I hope this space will bring even a small degree of comfort to the bereaved families,” Ven. Myojang added. “I extend my deepest condolences and sympathy to the affected families.”

Bereaved family members remained at the airport for about a week, trying to understand the cause of the crash and completing difficult formalities, such as attending official briefings and identifying and receiving the recovered belongings of their deceased loved ones.
“During this period, children were also staying with their parents, so one of the main concerns and needs of parents was to take care of their children . . . including (by) visiting the disaster site, identifying and collecting the belongings of the deceased, and taking occasional breaks,” the Seoul-based NGO explained. “Unfortunately, no one offered such childcare services from the beginning, which left a void. So ThePromise partnered with volunteer centers, which were tasked with gathering, organizing and distributing resources, to operate a child-friendly space at the airport.”

ThePromise team members set up a program to provide basic care, mainly to preschool children. Compassionate staff were available to care for children of bereaved families until January 5, when the bodies of the deceased were returned to their families. Subsequently, management of the child-friendly space was transferred to the Muan County Family Center to ensure that support for children continues to be available as families deal with the aftermath of the tragedy.
“The establishment of this space helped to minimise the psychological impact on the children and allowed their parents to fully concentrate on the administrative process required to manage the aftermath of the incident,” ThePromise said.
Mr A, a man in his 2s whose father-in-law was among the passengers who died, said: “I had to go to work on January XNUMX to collect the deceased’s belongings. My wife and mother-in-law had nowhere to leave my three-year-old daughter,” he said, adding: “I was relieved to find out there was a space like this.”

Working in collaboration with civil organizations such as the Korea Central Volunteer Center, Jeollanamdo Volunteer Center, and other regional volunteer centers, ThePromise secured space in the airport building. Volunteers transformed the area into a welcoming environment equipped with toys, art supplies, and educational materials to meet the children’s emotional and psychological needs.
ThePromise noted that it was still rare for child-friendly spaces to be created and operated at disaster sites in South Korea, noting that the recent air tragedy had demonstrated that there was a clear need for such spaces. The NGO added that it hoped that the interest shown by the central and local governments would serve as an important starting point for the faster provision of such spaces.
“Although many disaster relief booths have already been set up at the airport, there was not a single booth dedicated to children,” said Donghoon Kim, executive director of ThePromise. “This once again highlighted how children are often left in blind spots when it comes to care in disaster situations.”

Ven. Myojang established ThePromise in 2008 as a non-profit organization under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Korea. The NGO, which has special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), is dedicated to providing humanitarian assistance worldwide. Its stated mission “is to support communities affected by disasters and emergencies by rapidly providing customized relief supplies and conducting preventive education to prepare for such crises.” (The Promise)
Since 2015, ThePromise has provided psychosocial support during domestic and international humanitarian crises and disasters, including: the Gyeongju and Pohang earthquakes in South Korea; 2022 forest fires on the east coast of South Korea; floods in Jeongbang village in South Korea; the 2015 Nepal earthquake; Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh; and the Turkey-Syria earthquakes.
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The article Engaged Buddhism: Buddhist NGO ThePromise offers compassion amid the tragedy of the Jeju air disaster in Korea appeared first on Buddhadoor Global.