Two miners who were rescued from a collapsed mine in southeastern Bonghwa County after nearly ten days have been discharged from the hospital.

Park Jeong-ha, aged 62, and a fellow miner identified only by his surname Park, aged 56, were allowed to return home on Friday following a weeklong hospitalization.

Speaking to the media prior to his discharge, Park Jeong-ha, who was the team leader at the time, thanked his fellow miners, emergency responders, civilian volunteers, the military and medical staff for their support.

He urged the government to take steps to guarantee safety at mines and other industrial sites to prevent a recurrence of such an accident.

The other miner, who asked not to be identified, also expressed hope for improvement in the mining industry's working environment while speaking to Yonhap News Agency.

The duo had been trapped in a vertical shaft about 190 meters underground since October 26, before they managed to walk out alive on November 4 after intensive rescue efforts.