Former Baseball Player Kim Byung-hyun Mourns Victim of Jeju Air Tragedy

Former baseball player and broadcaster Kim Byung-hyun has paid tribute to a friend who tragically lost their life in the recent Jeju Air plane accident. On December 30, Kim shared a heartfelt message on his personal social media account, expressing condolences to the family of K, a manager with the Kia Tigers, alongside a photo of chrysanthemums.

Kim reflected on the profound loss, stating, "This person was someone's mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister, or friend. My heart aches for the bereaved family. I was in the U.S. and kept liking photos of K, his wife, and their three-year-old son enjoying their time in Thailand on Instagram."

He reminisced about K's joyful posts, which included a caption about enjoying a trip abroad after a long time, and shared a laugh at K's affectionate nature. Kim recalled how K, who had successfully married his wife through an office romance, was always proud of his beautiful partner.

In his emotional message, Kim expressed regret for not being able to do more for K, wishing him happiness in the afterlife with his beloved wife and their child.

The K mentioned by Kim is known to be a member of the Kia Tigers organization, who was traveling with his wife and young son when the tragic accident occurred.

Earlier, other broadcasters, including SBS Sports' Jung Woo-young and former KBS announcer Jo Chung-hyun, also shared their condolences for K.

The accident took place the previous day at Jeonnam Muan International Airport when Jeju Air flight 7C2216, arriving from Bangkok, attempted to land but collided with a fence. The aircraft was severely damaged, with most of it catching fire, resulting in the deaths of 179 people, while two others were rescued.