Recovery work ongoing after South Korean airplane crashes in failed landing

Recovery work is ongoing after an airplane carrying 181 people crashed in a failed landing attempt and erupted in flames at an airport in Muan in the southwest of South Korea on Sunday morning.

The Jeju Air flight 7C2216, which was traveling from Bangkok, Thailand, veered off the runway and crashed into an outer wall at the Muan International Airport at around 09:07 local time, prompting a huge explosion which saw the the plane engulfed in fire and left the fuselage destroyed.

At least 167 fatalities have been confirmed so far as the death toll continues to rise.

The chief of the Muan fire department said in a televised press briefing on Sunday that most of the 181 people on board were presumed dead aside from two crew members who had been rescued -- a 33-year-old male and a 25-year-old female -- noting there was little chance of any remaining survivors being found.

The passenger plane had been carrying 173 South Korean and two Thai passengers, as well as six crew members. According to authorities, it would take time to recover and identify the bodies as the fuselage was severely destroyed.

South Korea's transport ministry said that its investigation unit had secured both of the two black boxes from the crashed passenger jet. An official with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a press briefing that both flight data and voice recorder devices had been retrieved from the wreckage.

Authorities believe the incident may have been caused by a bird strike that led to landing gear failure, according to South Korean media reports.

The Yonhap News Agency reported that after an unsuccessful first landing attempt due to the malfunctioning landing gear, the aircraft went around again, and made a second attempt with a belly-landing that resulted in the crash into the wall after the plane was seen skidding off the runway. The fire was initially extinguished some 43 minutes after the crash occurred, with about 80 firefighters and helicopters being dispatched to the scene. South Korea's Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok, who has now became acting president following the impeachments of president Yoon Suk-yeol and prime minister Han Duck-soo, ordered relevant officials to make all-out efforts and mobilize all available equipment and manpower, while declaring Muan County as a special disaster zone.

Recovery work ongoing after South Korean airplane crashes in failed landing

Recovery work ongoing after South Korean airplane crashes in failed landing

Recovery work ongoing after South Korean airplane crashes in failed landing

Recovery work ongoing after South Korean airplane crashes in failed landing

Recovery work ongoing after South Korean airplane crashes in failed landing

Rescue work ongoing after South Korean airplane crashes in failed landing

Despite U.S. tariff hikes, toy manufacturers in Dongguan, a global toy manufacturing hub in south China, are demonstrating remarkable resilience through unique product offerings and strategic market expansion beyond the American market to other countries.

Dongguan is home to over 4,000 manufacturers and nearly 1,500 supporting enterprises in the designer toy industry, producing nearly 85 percent of China's designer toys and a quarter of the global animation-related merchandise.

Piececool, a Dongguan-based toy brand specializing in premium 3D metal puzzles, maintains resilience against U.S. tariff hikes through its distinctive craftsmanship and incorporation of Chinese cultural elements, which have cultivated a loyal global customer base.

"We build our products around traditional Chinese themes. Overseas, we're proud to be known simply as 'a Chinese brand.' As soon as people see our puzzles, they know they're getting something made in China," said Xiong Mao, general manager of Dongguan Weishi Culture Technology Co., Ltd., the parent company of Piececool.

Xiong said that the U.S. market for his company remains steady thanks to their unique product offerings as the majority of their consumers prioritize quality over cost and are willing to invest in premium products.

"Our share of the U.S. market hasn't been hit much. First, our products are protected by our own intellectual property and branding. And second, there really isn't anything else like them that customers could switch to," he said.

Jollybaby, a Dongguan-based toy manufacturer, is among China's top exporters of soft baby books. Facing challenges from U.S. tariffs, the company has restructured its approach to penetrate markets in Europe and Southeast Asia.

"Besides Russia, we work with agents in South Korea and Japan. Combined, those markets far exceed our sales in the U.S.," said Long Lin, deputy general manager of Jollybaby.

Beyond exports, Jollybaby now views China's domestic market as another key focus. In April alone, Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com placed an order worth 50 million yuan (around 6.9 million US dollars) and committed to distribute 1 million of the company's soft baby books, completing its transition from exports to domestic sales within just 72 hours.

"We were the first to benefit. JD.com approached us immediately -- they understood our inventory situation, put the traffic behind our products, and labeled them as 'export to domestic for shoppers," Long said.

"As a major trading city and manufacturing hub, changes in the external environment inevitably affect us. We know better than to put all our eggs in one basket -- diversifying markets is our top priority. Beyond the Belt and Road partner countries, we're expanding trade with RCEP members, Africa, South America, and other emerging markets, to build a more balanced and widespread market presence," said Huang Chaodong, deputy director general of the Dongguan Municipal Bureau of Commerce.

Chinese toymakers resilient to US tariffs with unique products, diversified markets