President Joe Biden said Sunday he and first lady Jill Biden were “deeply saddened” by the commercial plane crash in South Korea that killed 179 people.
“Jill and I are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life that occurred as a result of the Jeju Airlines accident in Muan, Republic of Korea,” Biden said in the statement. “As close allies, the American people share deep bonds of friendship with the South Korean people and our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by this tragedy.
“The United States stands ready to provide any necessary assistance,” the president said.
The flight, operated by Jeju Air, was en route from Bangkok Sunday morning when it veered off a runway and crashed into a wall at the Muan International Airport in South Korea, the country’s Transport Ministry said.
The flight carried 175 passengers and six crew on board. Two of the crew members survived.
The passengers included two Thai nationals, and the rest are believed to be South Koreans, according to the Transport Ministry.
“After the plane collided with the wall, passengers were thrown out of the aircraft. The chances of survival (were) extremely low,” Muan fire Chief Lee Jeong-hyeon said in a briefing translated by Yonhap news agency. “The aircraft has almost completely been destroyed, and it is difficult to identify the deceased. We are in the process of recovering the remains, which will take time.”
The National Transportation Safety Board wrote in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, that they are leading a team of U.S. investigators to assist South Korea’s investigation into the accident.
South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok, who visited the crash site, announced a weeklong period of mourning.
Jeju Air pledged full support for the surviving families, citing a $1 billion insurance plan.
