Trump's Secretary of State Nominee Offers Heartfelt Condolences Following South Korean Plane Tragedy

Seoul, Dec 31 (NationPress) The nominee for US President-elect Donald Trump’s secretary of state position has conveyed his deepest condolences following the recent catastrophic plane incident in South Korea, which resulted in the deaths of 179 individuals.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who has been nominated for the role of secretary of state in Trump's upcoming term, posted on the social media platform X on Monday (US time), "Our hearts go out to the Korean people. We share in your grief over the tragic loss of 179 lives."

On Sunday, a Jeju Air flight arriving from Bangkok tragically crashed into the perimeter wall of Muan International Airport located in southwestern South Korea during an emergency landing, with 179 of the 181 passengers on board confirmed dead.

"We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones amid this immeasurable pain," Rubio stated, adding, "Our prayers are with you and your great nation."

This marks the first expression of sympathy from Trump’s administration regarding the plane disaster.

On the same day as the tragedy, US President Joe Biden expressed that he and First Lady Jill Biden were "deeply saddened" by the loss of life and committed to offering any necessary support.

In the meantime, a team of investigators from the US government and Boeing Co. has arrived at the site of the Jeju Air crash at Muan International Airport to assist in the investigation, as stated by Seoul officials on Tuesday.

The transport ministry of Seoul reported that one representative from the US Federal Aviation Administration, three experts from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and four representatives from Boeing are collaborating with officials from South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) for the investigation at the accident site, as reported by Yonhap news agency.

The US delegation arrived in South Korea on Monday via Incheon International Airport and proceeded directly to Muan, approximately 290 kilometers southwest of Seoul, to prepare for the investigation.

According to the ministry, the US and Boeing representatives, along with 11 members of South Korea's ARAIB, are currently examining the wreckage and debris at the crash scene, looking for components that may provide insight into the cause of the incident.

After the on-site investigation, the inquiry will transition to the analytical phase, which includes reviewing the evidence collected and data retrieved from the aircraft's two black boxes.

One black box, the flight data recorder, was reported to have sustained external damage and is missing a connector necessary for linking its data storage unit to the power supply.

The second black box, which is the cockpit voice recorder, is said to be in relatively better condition.

The investigation team will soon determine whether to pursue repairs and analysis of the damaged black box domestically or send it to the NTSB in the US for further inspection.