Date & Time: Dec 11, 1969
Type of aircraft:
NAMC YS-11
Operator:
Registration:
HL5208
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Kangnung - Seoul
MSN:
2043
YOM:
1967
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
48
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Ten minutes after takeoff from Kangnung Airport, a passenger came into the cockpit and forced the pilots to divert to North Korea. After crossing the border between both Koreas, the airplane was escorted by three fighters and the crew was forced to land at Sondok Airport near Wonsan. Apparently, the landing was 'missed' and the airplane was severely damaged upon arrival. Nevertheless, none of the 52 occupants were injured but arrested and interned by the North Korean Authorities. Following negotiations with South Korea, 39 passengers were released and sent back to South Korea on 14 February 1970. But all four crew members and nine passengers plus the hijacker were not released. In 2018, the South Korean Government and the families still do not have any information about the fate of these 12 people listed here below:
Yu Byeong-ha (유병하, 38), pilot,
Choe Seok-man (최석만, 37), copilot,
Jeong Gyeong-suk (정경숙, 24), stewardess,
Seong Gyeong-hui (성경희, 23), stewardess,
Yi Dong-gi (이동기, 49), Director of a printing house,
Hwang Won (황원, 32), Director of the Munhwa audiovisual company,
Gim Bongju (김봉주, 27), cameraman for Munhwa audiovisual company,
Chae Heon-deok (채헌덕, 37), doctor,
Im Cheol-su (임철수, 49), office employee,
Jang Ki-yeong (장기영, 40), businessman in the food industry,
Choe Jeong-ung (최정웅, 28), employee for Hankook Slate.