US F-16 fighter jet crashes during training exercise in South Korea, pilot rescued
A US F-16 fighter jet crashed on Monday during a training exercise in South Korea, with the pilot making an emergency escape and being rescued, the Yonhap news agency reported.
The incident occurred as the jet crashed into the water after taking off from Gunsan Air Base, located 178 kilometers south of Seoul, near the Yellow Sea.
The pilot ejected from the aircraft and was successfully rescued, according to Yonhap. The South Korean Defense Ministry declined to comment on the incident, and U.S. Forces Korea also did not immediately comment.
This is not the first time a US F-16 has been involved in an incident in South Korea. In May, another F-16 crashed during a routine exercise in a farm area south of Seoul. The pilot was able to eject to safety with no casualties reported.
With Washington being a key security ally of Seoul, the incident has once again highlighted the presence of US forces in South Korea, with around 28,500 troops stationed there to protect the country from its nuclear-armed northern neighbor.
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