Spontaneous movement honors local dentist who was among 179 victims of worst aviation accident in Korea

A notice is posted at the clinic of a dentist who was among the dead in Sunday's tragic Jeju Air crash, announcing its closure due to his passing. (Threads)
A notice is posted at the clinic of a dentist who was among the dead in Sunday's tragic Jeju Air crash, announcing its closure due to his passing. (Threads)

Some dentists in Gwangju are offering free dental services to honor a respected colleague who tragically lost his life in the Jeju Air crash that occurred Dec. 29 at Muan International Airport, in nearby South Jeolla Province.

According to the Gwangju Dental Association, many dentists began providing free care on Monday, just a day after the accident.

“It seems the dentists are continuing the good work the deceased was known for by offering free treatment,” a representative from the association said.

The initiative is not being officially organized by the association, meaning there is no formal list of participating dentists or a set timeline for the effort. However, most are concentrated in Gwangju, where the late dentist had his practice.

Many volunteer dentists are also offering care for patients from the deceased’s clinic, especially those undergoing ongoing treatments such as orthodontics.

A notice posted at the victim's dental clinic announcing its closure went viral on Threads, attracting more than 30,000 likes as of Thursday. The late dentist, who operated a clinic in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, was highly respected for his ethical approach, often avoiding unnecessary procedures, according to the post and its comments.