SOUTH KOREAN FAMILIES WERE MAINTAINING A VIGIL AT SEOUL AIRPORT YESTERDAY (SATURDAY), WAITING FOR NEWS OF THEIR RELATIVES -- VICTIMS OF A HIJACKING WHEN THE AIRCRAFT IN WHICH THEY WERE TRAVELLING WAS FORCED TO FLY TO NORTH KOREAN ON THURSDAY (DECEMBER 11).

FOR MANY OF THE FAMILIES, THE FIRST PRIORITY WAS TO CONFIRM THAT THEIR RELATIVES HAD BEEN TRAVELLING ON THE HIJACKED KOREAN AIRLINES TURBOPROP AIRCRAFT.

FORTY-SEVEN PASSENGERS AND CREW WERE ON THE FLIGHT FROM THE EAST COAST CITY OF KANGJUNG TO THE CAPITAL SEOUL AT THE TIME OF THE HIJACKING. THE AIRLINER IS BELIEVED TO HAVE LANDED SAFELY AT THE NORTH KOREAN PORT OF WONSAN -- WHERE THE UNITED STATES SPY SHIP PUEBLO WAS TAKEN AFTER ITS 1968 CAPTURE BY NORTH KOREA.