SOUTH KOREA, US BEGIN ANALYSIS OF CRASHED JEJU AIR PLANE'S BLACK BOX

SEOUL, Jan 8 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States (US) have begun an analysis of the crashed Jeju Air plane's flight data recorder (FDR), and their joint investigation team is speeding up a probe of key components of the wreckage, including engines and main wings, at the crash site, a top government official here said Wednesday.

Yonhap News Agency reported that acting Interior Minister Ko Ki-dong made the remarks at a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, vowing to conduct an objective and fair investigation into the cause of the crash in compliance with international standards and relevant laws.

"The investigation will be conducted by domestic and international experts, and its process and results will be disclosed as transparently as possible," Ko said.

The two countries have already established a 23-member joint investigation team that includes US experts from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board to look into the cause of the crash that claimed 179 lives at Muan International Airport, in southwestern South Korea, on Dec 29.

Earlier this week, the plane's FDR, also referred to as a black box, was sent to the US

Ko also said a dedicated support organisation will be established within this month to better communicate with the bereaved families of the plane crash victims.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP