US military jet crashes in S Korea, pilot safe
A US military F-16 jet crashed in southern South Korea on Tuesday during a training mission but its pilot ejected to safety, US authorities said.
The plane crashed into a rice paddy around noon (0830 IST) near a US air base in the western port city of Gunsan, the US military said in a statement.
"The (lone) pilot safely ejected before the plane crashed. Emergency response teams are on scene at this time," it said.
There were no casualties or serious damage on the ground, a US air force spokesman said, adding details would be released later.
A local fire station officer in Seocheon county near Gunsan said previously the pilot was injured and taken away by ambulance.
The officer had identified the aircraft involved as an A-10 tank buster. The crash came as South Korean and US troops stage an annual joint military exercise, called Foal Eagle, from March 1 to April 30.
It was unclear if the F-16 was involved in the drill. North Korea habitually fiercely denounces annual joint exercises by US and South Korean troops as a rehearsal for invasion.
Seoul and Washington say they are merely defensive in nature. The United States has based troops in the South since the 1950-53 war and the force currently numbers 28,500.
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