Jeju Air remains search to resume June 15

The search for unrecovered human remains at the Jeju Air crash site is set to resume June 15.

The bereaved families council plans to hold a preparatory meeting June 10 to review contaminated soil disposal procedures and search protocols before resuming operations June 15.

The resumption will not be a full-scale search. Work will focus first on the contaminated soil zone near the localizer — the directional guidance facility — where carcinogenic substances were detected.

The Ministry of National Defense's remains excavation and identification unit will be deployed, and a 5-millimeter sieve — finer than the 8-millimeter mesh previously used — will be employed for more precise screening.

In the contaminated zone, workers from a private contractor wearing safety equipment will excavate the affected soil and pass it through the sieves.

Materials caught by the sieves will undergo an initial assessment by the remains identification unit. Anything confirmed as human remains will be transferred to the South Jeolla Provincial Police Agency's forensic science team, after which the National Forensic Service will conduct analysis to establish identity.

Once the private contractor completes the search of the contaminated zone and removes all affected soil to ensure safety, police and military personnel will move in to conduct a renewed search of the remaining areas.