Two South Korean tourists, Jinah Hwang (41) and Han Soejin (43), lost their lives following a paragliding accident off the coast of Tanah Barak Beach, Kutuh Village, South Kuta District, Badung Regency, Bali.
The incident occurred on Thursday, 17 July 2025, during a recreational paragliding session.
According to Denpasar Police, the couple, accompanied by seven other South Korean tourists and an instructor, had arrived at the beach with complete paragliding equipment. Only the flying and landing points were provided by the management of Panda Paragliding.
“At 11:00 a.m., a group of nine tourists from South Korea arrived at the beach. In that group, there was one instructor who was in charge of flying solo,” stated Denpasar Police Public Relations Head, AKP I Ketut Sukadi, as reported by DetikBali.
Hwang, Han, and another member of their group were among the first to take off. Approximately 10 minutes into the flight, a sudden change in wind direction occurred at an altitude of 80 metres. One tourist successfully executed an emergency landing at the designated area.
However, Hwang and Han were blown off course toward the shoreline of Tanah Barak Beach.
Delayed Rescue and Fatal Outcome
Upon attempting an emergency landing, the two were suspected to have been delayed in releasing their paragliding seat harnesses, resulting in their fall into the sea. Witnesses reported that both victims were found face-down, entangled in parachute cords and the harness cocoon, near the shoreline.
“Two Korean foreigners were found floating on the sea, who allegedly failed to make an emergency landing while paragliding,” Sukadi confirmed in a statement to detikBali on Sunday, 20 July 2025.
“About 20 minutes later, one of the pilots at Panda Para Layang helped the two victims,” he added. However, rescue efforts were hindered by tidal conditions and could only proceed approximately 15 minutes after the incident, once the seawater had receded.
The victims were evacuated and transported to Surya Husada Hospital in Nusa Dua, where they were later declared deceased.
The South Korean tourists were reported to be staying in the Karang Putih area, South Kuta. While the relationship between Hwang and Han was not formally confirmed, field sources indicated they were believed to be a married couple enjoying a holiday in Bali.
Authorities continue to investigate the incident, including weather conditions at the time and the safety measures in place.
