Jeju Air Crew Dance Video Ignites Controversy in South Korea
In July 2025, a 10-second video featuring Jeju Air flight attendants dancing and smiling aboard an aircraft cabin was posted to the airline’s official social media channels. Titled “Feisty Flight Attendants,” the clip quickly went viral, amassing millions of views and hundreds of thousands of likes. But the lighthearted video has since become the center of a heated national debate in South Korea, with many accusing the airline of insensitivity in the wake of the country’s deadliest air disaster just months earlier.
The backlash highlights the complex intersection of public mourning, corporate image management, and the evolving role of social media in shaping collective memory after tragedy. As families of the crash victims continue to grieve and demand answers, the incident has sparked broader questions about how societies process loss and the responsibilities of public-facing organizations in times of collective trauma.
Background: The Jeju Air Crash That Shook a Nation
On December 29, 2024, Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 was approaching Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province after a routine journey from Bangkok, Thailand. As the Boeing 737-800 prepared to land, it struck a flock of birds, triggering a series of catastrophic events. The pilots, responding to the emergency, mistakenly shut down the less-damaged left engine instead of the right, more severely affected engine. In the chaos, the landing gear was not deployed, and the aircraft attempted a belly landing at high speed.
The plane overran the runway, crashed into a concrete-reinforced embankment, and caught fire. Of the 181 people on board, only two survived. The disaster claimed 179 lives, making it the deadliest air accident on South Korean soil and plunging the nation into mourning. Recovery efforts were harrowing and protracted, with authorities taking considerable time to recover bodies and confirm identities. Funerals for many victims were held only recently, intensifying the rawness of public grief.
Investigations into the crash have been fraught with controversy. The Aircraft and Railway Accident Investigation Board (Araib) initially attributed the crash to pilot error following the bird strike, but families of the victims have challenged these findings, demanding greater transparency and a broader examination of systemic and infrastructural factors. The pilots’ union has also criticized the investigation, arguing that pilots are being scapegoated and that organizational and environmental issues—such as the presence of the embankment—have not been adequately addressed.
Viral Video: From Social Media Hit to Public Outrage
Against this backdrop of national mourning and unresolved questions, Jeju Air’s decision to post a playful dance video on July 11, 2025, struck a nerve. The video, shared on TikTok and other platforms, showed three uniformed crew members dancing, jumping, and flashing V-signs inside an airplane cabin. While the video was in line with a broader trend of airline and hospitality staff participating in viral dance challenges—a phenomenon that has become popular on platforms like TikTok—it was the timing that drew ire.
Within days, the video had garnered over 2 million views and more than 200,000 likes. However, the comment sections quickly filled with criticism. Many users accused the airline of being tone-deaf and disrespectful to the memory of the crash victims and their families. One commenter, quoted by the Seoul Economic Daily, asked, “How long has it been since the Muan accident? It’s only been half a year since the accident, so we need at least a year of mourning.” Another, cited by Korea JoongAng Daily, wrote, “It took a long time to recover the bodies and confirm their identities. The funerals were recent. Wouldn’t it be upsetting to see this if it were your family?”
The phrase “the funerals were recent” became a rallying cry for those who felt the video was posted too soon, with many arguing that public displays of joy by the airline were inappropriate while families were still grieving and investigations remained unresolved.
Defending the Crew: Divided Public Opinion
Not all responses were critical. A significant portion of social media users and commentators defended the flight attendants, arguing that the crew members in the video were not responsible for the crash and should not be blamed for participating in a corporate social media campaign. “Did the flight attendants or first officer cause the accident?” one user asked, reflecting a sentiment that the backlash was misdirected.
Others pointed out that life must go on and that expecting perpetual gloom from airline staff was unreasonable. “They look adorable dancing … Just because there was an accident doesn’t mean they have to stay gloomy forever,” another commenter wrote. Some even accused critics of exploiting the tragedy for their own agendas, as seen in online forums and Reddit discussions, where users debated whether invoking the crash in unrelated contexts was itself a form of insensitivity.
This division reflects a broader societal debate about the boundaries of public mourning, the right to move forward, and the expectations placed on individuals and organizations after tragedy.
Corporate Social Media and the Risks of Viral Content
Jeju Air’s embrace of social media is not unique. Airlines and hospitality brands worldwide have increasingly turned to platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to humanize their staff, engage younger audiences, and build brand loyalty. Dance challenges and behind-the-scenes videos have become staples of airline marketing, with viral content often generating millions of views and positive engagement.
Jeju Air, in particular, has aggressively grown its online presence, becoming the top domestic carrier by online subscribers as of August 2024. Previous campaigns, such as the “Chanoul Challenge,” racked up millions of views and helped the airline cultivate a fun, approachable image. The “Feisty Flight Attendants” video was, in many ways, a continuation of this strategy.
However, the incident underscores the risks of such approaches, especially in the aftermath of tragedy. Social media’s immediacy and reach can amplify both positive and negative reactions, and content that might be innocuous in another context can become controversial when public sensitivities are heightened. The backlash against Jeju Air’s video is a stark reminder that timing and context are crucial, and that corporate communications must be attuned to the emotional state of the public.
The Broader Debate: Mourning, Privacy, and Public Expectations
The controversy over the Jeju Air dance video is part of a larger conversation in South Korea about how individuals and organizations should behave in the wake of national tragedies. Similar debates have arisen in other contexts, such as when celebrities post seemingly cheerful content during periods of public mourning. After the Jeju Air crash, for example, actor Jeon Jong-seo faced criticism for posting a smiling selfie, prompting discussions about the right to grieve privately versus the expectations placed on public figures.
Many argue that public figures and organizations have a responsibility to show respect and solidarity during times of collective grief. Others contend that individuals, regardless of their public status, deserve the right to process loss in their own way and should not be held to unrealistic standards of perpetual mourning.
This tension is further complicated by the nature of social media, where content is often consumed out of context and where the boundaries between personal expression and public communication are blurred. The democratization of commentary means that any action—however well-intentioned—can be subject to intense scrutiny and divergent interpretations.
Ongoing Investigations and the Search for Accountability
As the debate over the dance video rages on, families of the Jeju Air crash victims continue to seek answers and accountability. The official investigation into the crash has been contentious, with preliminary findings pointing to pilot error following a bird strike. According to sources familiar with the probe, the pilots shut off the less-damaged engine instead of the one more severely affected by the bird strike, and failed to lower the landing gear before attempting to land.
However, victims’ families and the pilots’ union have pushed back against these conclusions, arguing that the investigation has been insufficiently transparent and has unfairly focused blame on the deceased pilots. They have called for a broader examination of systemic issues, including the design of the airport’s perimeter and the airline’s operational protocols. The investigation board has postponed the release of its interim findings at the request of the families, underscoring the ongoing sensitivity and lack of closure surrounding the disaster.
Until the final report is released—expected by mid-2026—the wounds from the crash remain open, and public emotions continue to run high. The controversy over the dance video, while seemingly minor in comparison to the scale of the tragedy, is emblematic of the broader struggles over memory, accountability, and the process of healing after collective loss.
Global Trends: Dance Videos, Hospitality, and the Limits of Joy
The Jeju Air incident also reflects a global trend in which airline and hospitality staff participate in viral dance challenges as a way to humanize their roles and connect with customers. On TikTok and other platforms, videos of flight attendants and restaurant staff dancing have become immensely popular, celebrating creativity, teamwork, and the lighter side of service work.
These videos are often intended to bring joy and foster a sense of community, both among staff and with the public. However, as the Jeju Air case demonstrates, such content can become controversial when it collides with recent tragedy or unresolved trauma. The balance between celebrating life and respecting loss is delicate, and organizations must navigate these waters carefully.
Comparative Context: Public Backlash and National Sensitivities
South Korea is no stranger to public backlash in the wake of high-profile events. Recent examples include criticism of a baseball team for playing the Korean anthem after a championship win in Japan, and debates over celebrities’ social media behavior during periods of national mourning. These incidents reflect a broader cultural sensitivity to timing, respect, and the collective processing of grief.
Such reactions are not unique to Korea. Around the world, societies grapple with how to balance the need for healing and normalcy with the imperative to honor the memory of those lost. The Jeju Air dance video controversy is a vivid illustration of these tensions, played out in real time on the global stage of social media.
In Summary
- A viral dance video by Jeju Air crew members has sparked widespread backlash in South Korea, with critics calling it insensitive in the wake of the country’s deadliest air disaster.
- The December 2024 crash of Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 killed 179 people, and investigations into the cause remain contentious and unresolved.
- Public opinion is divided, with some defending the crew and others demanding greater sensitivity from the airline.
- The incident highlights the risks of corporate social media strategies, especially after tragedy, and raises broader questions about public mourning and accountability.
- Families of crash victims continue to seek answers, and the controversy underscores the ongoing struggle to balance remembrance, healing, and the desire to move forward.
