South Korea Assists in Search of Fallen Sriwijaya Air SJ182

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The South Korea government has assisted in the search and evacuation of the fallen Sriwijaya Air flight SJ182 by mobilizing a research vessel and an underwater detection device operated by the Korea-Indonesia Marine Technology Cooperation Research Center (MTCRC). 

The press release from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Indonesia on Monday, January 11, stated that the South Korean government immediately aided the search after receiving a request from the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investments’ deputy of maritime resources, Safri Burhanuddin, on Saturday, January 9. 

The MTCRC mobilized the 12-ton ARA ship that was already stationed in Indonesia since 2020 for the Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) between the two countries. The ship is equipped with a multi-beam echo sounder, sub-bottom profiler used for three-dimensional bathymetric survey.  

Head of the MTCRC Park Hansan and captain of the research vessel along with 15 experts went to the Sriwijaya Air crash site alongside Indonesian rescuers. South Korea also stated that it will proactively assist Indonesia in the search and evacuation process as strategic partners. 

The Sriwijaya Air flight SJ182 tragically crashed not long after taking off from Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Saturday, January 9. The Boeing 737-500 initially lost contact with air traffic control just four minutes after taking off from Soekarno-Hatta Airport at 14:36 Western Indonesia Time (WIB) for a domestic flight destined for Pontianak. 

Flight SJ182 carried a total of 62 people with 40 adult passengers, seven children, three babies, and 12 crew members.

Read: Rescuers Find More Debris, Body Parts from Sriwijaya Air Crash Site

Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Indonesia