President Yoon Suk-yeol sent a thank you letter and gifts to two miners who were rescued from a collapsed mine in southeastern South Korea after more than nine days, a presidential spokesman said Sunday.
The two miners walked out alive after being trapped for 221 hours in the zinc mine in the county of Bonghwa, 244 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Friday.
"A new hope was given to the Republic of Korea weighed down with sorrow. I wish you a quick recovery," Yoon was quoted as saying in a message delivered by presidential industrial policy secretary Kang Kyeong-seong on Saturday afternoon.
He was referring to the Itaewon crowd crush that killed at least 156 people a week ago.
The survivors expressed gratitude to Yoon, saying they heard the president ordered active rescue efforts many times, according to deputy presidential spokesperson Cheon Hyo-jeong. (Yonhap)
