(LEAD) Survivor of plane crash says 'When I woke up I had already been rescued'

(ATTN: UPDATES with condition of other survivor; ADDS photo)

SEOUL, Dec. 29 (Yonhap) -- One of two survivors of a plane crash that killed 179 others Sunday told doctors he had already been rescued when he woke up.

The 33-year-old survivor, surnamed Lee, was a flight attendant on the Jeju Air plane that burst into flames after belly-landing at Muan International Airport on Sunday morning.

He was initially taken to a hospital in the nearby city of Mokpo, 311 kilometers south of Seoul, but later transferred to Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital in the capital city.

"When I woke up, I had already been rescued," he told doctors at the hospital, according to its director Ju Woong, who spoke during a press briefing.

Ju said he did not ask about the details of the accident as he believed it would not help the patient's recovery.

"He's fully able to communicate," Ju said. "There's no indication yet of memory loss or such."

The survivor is currently being treated in the intensive care unit after being diagnosed with multiple fractures.

Ju said he is under special care due to the possibility of aftereffects, including total paralysis.

Meanwhile, the other survivor, a 25-year-old flight attendant surnamed Koo, was being treated at Asan Medical Center in eastern Seoul.

She was reportedly in stable condition though she had injured her ankle and head.

Medical staff declined to answer reporters' questions about her condition.

hague@yna.co.kr
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