South Korea crash investigation ramps up as funeral procedures begin

Flight data recorder to be sent to U.S. for analysis

Mourners wait to pay tribute to the victims of a plane fire at a memorial altar at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, on Jan. 1. © AP

January 1, 2025 21:20 JST

SEOUL/MUAN COUNTY, South Korea (Reuters) -- The investigation into the crash of a South Korean passenger jet gathered pace on Wednesday as bereaved families began to prepare funerals after authorities finished formally identifying the 179 victims of the country's worst air disaster.

The transport ministry said South Korean investigators have extracted the data from the plane's cockpit voice recorder and will convert it into an audio file, hopefully offering critical information to try to explain the few minutes that led up to the crash.