Two crew members have been rescued, the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Sunday's crash occurred as Jeju Air flight 7C2216, carrying 175 passengers and six crew on a flight from the Thai capital Bangkok, was landing at the airport in the south of the country, South Korea's transport ministry said.
At least 33 bodies have been recovered but that number is not final, a fire official told Reuters.
The airliner slammed into a wall at the airport, southwest of Seoul. (AP PHOTO)
Two people were found alive and rescue operations were still under way, a Muan fire official said.
Authorities were working to rescue people in the tail section, an airport official told Reuters.
Video shared by local media showed the twin-engine aircraft skidding down the runway with no apparent landing gear before slamming into a wall in an explosion of flame and debris. Other photos showed smoke and fire engulfing parts of the plane.
The passengers included two Thai nationals, and the rest are believed to be South Koreans, according to the transportation ministry.
Emergency officials said they were examining the exact cause of the fire.
Flames and thick smoke billowed from the plane at the crash site. (AP PHOTO)
Boeing and the US Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
All domestic and international flights at Muan airport had been cancelled, Yonhap news agency reported.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok, who was named interim leader of the country on Friday after the previous acting president was impeached amid an ongoing political crisis, ordered all-out rescue efforts, his office said.
His chief of staff convened an emergency meeting.
with AP
