Tributes Pour In for Dentist Who Died in Jeju Air Tragedy

A 53-year-old dentist, referred to as A, who operated a clinic in Gwangju, tragically lost his life in the Jeju Air accident at Muan International Airport. Following the news, patients and their families have been sharing heartfelt tributes. On December 30, a post on the social media platform Thread featured a photo of a notice in the elevator of A's clinic, stating, 'Our XX Dental Clinic will cease operations due to the passing of our director from the Jeju Air accident.'

One commenter reminisced about how A reassured their child, who was worried about the color of their front teeth, saying, 'We can fix that when you grow up and have a girlfriend.' A was known for his gentle demeanor and was particularly beloved by young patients.

Since 2009, A had been practicing in Heuksok-dong, Gwangsan-gu, and was recognized for his compassionate care, often calming nervous children during treatments. Local residents expressed their sorrow, with comments like, 'I have been coming here for 16 years because the director was always so kind,' and 'This clinic was famous for not over-treating patients; it's truly heartbreaking.'

A fellow dentist offered to complete the treatments of A's patients without any additional costs. B, a representative dentist in the area, stated, 'Although I did not have a personal relationship with A, I know how dedicated he was to his patients and children. We will do our best to help his orthodontic and implant patients.'

The Gwangju Dental Association has hung banners throughout the city in memory of A. A representative from the association remarked, 'He was a doctor who contributed to the community, even donating practice equipment as an adjunct professor at Honam University. A great star of our community has dimmed.'

As of December 31 at 4 PM, the post had garnered 1.66 million views and spread widely across various online communities. Netizens reacted with comments like, 'Good people always leave us too soon,' and 'My heart aches for this loss.'

One user, who had been a patient since elementary school, shared, 'He was truly a wonderful person. He pulled my baby teeth and wisdom teeth, saying, 'Now you’re all grown up.' I received the news of his passing just two weeks after my last check-up. He worked tirelessly, only taking one day off a week, and was the only dentist at his clinic. Our whole family went there, and even though we weren't related, we all cried together.'