A US F-16 fighter jet crashed in a farming area south of Seoul during a training mission Saturday, the US military said, but the crash did not appear to cause injuries or property damage.
The US Air Force said in a statement that the pilot ejected and was safely released before the fighter crashed and was taken to the nearest hospital.
“A fighter jet, an F-16 Fighting Falcon, crashed in a farming area near Osan Air Base at around 09:45 am,” the statement added, in Gunje Province.
He indicated that the accident occurred during a routine training mission and an investigation is underway.
Kim Dong-yeon, the provincial governor, wrote on Twitter that firefighters were dispatched to the accident site and the fire was put out.
Local media reported that the accident did not result in casualties or damage, as it occurred in a rural area.
“There are no civilian homes near the accident site, which caused no damage (other than the plane crash),” the Yonhap news agency quoted a police official as saying.
Washington is Seoul’s main security ally and has about 28,500 troops in South Korea to help protect it from North Korea.
