After tragic plane crash, Korean Rotary members race to help

‘Food Truck of Love’ serves 2,000 meals per day to first responders

By Seoha Lee

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She was spending the morning with her grandchild when Hyun Ok Baek saw the news on TV: There had been a tragic plane crash at South Korea’s Muan International Airport.

Jeju Air flight 7C2216, arriving from Bangkok, crashed into a runway barrier during landing. The December 29 accident claimed the lives of 179 passengers, including a Rotary member, sending shockwaves throughout the country.

“I couldn’t eat lunch that day,” says Baek, governor of Rotary District 3710, which includes the Muan County in Korea. Her immediate question: How could Rotary help? “My mind kept turning to what role we could play in the aftermath of this tragedy,” she says.

Emergency responders lacked basic necessities like water, hot food, and a warm place to rest, she learned from Geun-Heong Yang, a Rotary member and volunteer firefighter. She also contacted District-3710 Secretary Heng Shim, whose experience in disaster response helped her make a quick and informed decision.

They wasted no time.

Within hours, messages were sent to the district’s volunteer group chat, summoning members who could help. Supplies like bottled water, coffee, ramen, and kimchi were quickly gathered, while team leaders coordinated shifts and transportation.

“In any disaster, the first 24 to 48 hours are vital,” says Shim. “Before government or municipal resources can fully mobilize, there’s a golden window where immediate assistance can make the most impact.”

The district’s Service Above Self Team, a rapid-response unit formed in 2010 to provide aid in times of disaster or crisis, quickly set plans into motion. The team’s Food Truck of Love was ready to deploy, its mobile industrial kitchen capable of preparing up to 200 meals at a time.

Financial help also came swiftly. Rotary District 3710, with the support of 13 other Rotary districts across Korea, mobilized approximately US$30,000–40,000 almost immediately. Funding came from a combination of district grants and contributions from individual Rotarians.

Eight hours after the crash, Rotary vehicles reached the heavily restricted crash site. Rotary was the first volunteer organization to arrive at the scene. While access was denied to many others, including bereaved families and journalists, the Rotary members’ clear purpose and careful preparation ultimately won them entry.

“I assured them that our food truck was fully equipped to provide hot meals and beverages immediately, which would help sustain those doing the hard and heartbreaking work of recovery,” says Baek.

The Food Truck of Love, a supply truck carrying water and food, and a six-passenger SUV packed with 12 volunteers entered, and the Rotarians got to work.

Serendipitous kimchi

The sight that greeted the team was harrowing.

Twisted remnants of the aircraft’s tail loomed ominously over the crash site, and the acrid smell of jet fuel and burning debris hung in the air. Hundreds of responders , firefighters, police officers, military personnel, forensic investigators, and medical staff were engaged in a grim and emotionally taxing operation to recover victims and assess the damage.

Rotary members set up the Food Truck of Love and a tent just meters away from the crash site.

“We started boiling water immediately,” says Kyoung Hee Bae, Service Above Self Team leader. “The first priority was to provide hot drinks and quick meals to keep the responders warm and energized.”

Six large containers of water were continuously heated in the bitter cold, fueling a steady supply of hot coffee, tea, and instant noodles. The team provided more than 2,000 meals daily. They started by offering simple but comforting staples: kimbap, cup noodles, rice cake soup, and warm drinks. In the following days, they expanded their menu to include pork kimchi stew, seaweed soup, bread, roasted sweet potatoes, and snacks. Hot packs, knee blankets, and toiletries like toothpaste and towels were also provided, says Shim.

Over six days, the team distributed a staggering 700 kilograms of kimchi, a staple of Korean meals. Coincidentally, the district had held its annual kimchi-making event just a week before, a tradition aimed at providing kimchi to underserved community members and had 400 kilograms left over. But it soon became clear they needed more. To ensure a steady supply, volunteers quickly pooled their funds to purchase 300 kilograms of pickled cabbage.

Another bit of good fortune: just two days before the crash, the team had decided to replace the gas tanks for the food cookers, despite them not being empty.

“There were discussions about whether we should wait to replace the gas, but we agreed it was better to be ready,” says Bae. “I can’t imagine what would have happened if we had run out of gas during those crucial first hours of service.”

Rotary members worked in shifts, with teams arriving at 5 a.m. each day to relieve their colleagues. Most members put in 24-hour shifts, while others remained on-site for days without going home, catching brief moments of rest on makeshift cardboard beds in the tent. One volunteer sustained a burn while cooking seaweed soup, while others faced exhaustion and illness from the harsh conditions.

The responders’ gratitude fueled the team’s determination.

“One young firefighter came up to me, his uniform covered in soot, and said, ‘This cup of coffee saved my night,’” says Shim. “Moments like that made every effort worthwhile.”

‘Look for the people in blue Rotary vests’

While Shim has participated in many volunteer efforts, this one was the most heartbreaking, he says.

“Among the deceased was a fellow Rotarian who had traveled with his two sons. His wife and daughter couldn’t join the trip due to other commitments. It was supposed to be a special moment for him to spend time with his sons, especially his youngest, who was in his final year of high school,” says Shim. “Losing all three in this tragedy was unbearably painful.”

Baek says that despite the profound sadness, there were moments of pride and connection.

“We stood shoulder to shoulder with the responders, offering not just food and warmth, but also the assurance that they weren’t alone,” she says.

When someone onsite posted a Thread message noting the Rotary efforts, it was an affirmation to Bae that they were genuinely making a difference.

“They wrote that anyone needing food or warmth should look for the people in blue Rotary vests, because we’d be there offering hot meals and a place to rest,” says Bae.

Continued support

Rotary’s help didn’t end with the recovery operation.

For Bae, who runs a funeral home in nearby Gwangju city, his work continued with the funerals of 22 of the victims.

“It felt profoundly ironic — going from the crash site to arranging the final goodbyes for those who had passed,” Bae says. “I thought the hardest part was being at the site, but in truth, the weeks that followed were even more emotionally draining.”

Recognizing the ongoing trauma faced by the victims’ families, Rotary members have begun new initiatives to provide long-term support. Baek, a professor of counseling, has started organizing sessions for families to address their grief. There are also plans to adapt existing programs to help the children of the victims cope, Shim adds.

Meanwhile, Baek says many local community members, inspired by Rotary’s response to the tragedy, have inquired about becoming Rotary members themselves.

“We’re now helping them form a new club, which will officially charter in February. It’s a reminder that even in the darkest times, there is room for hope and growth,” she says.

Read more about the work Rotary does all over the world.

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