[Yonhap Photo]
SEOUL -- A South Korean fighter jet crashed into a rural mountain Thursday on its way to an air base with two pilots aboard, military authorities said. A rescue operation was launched but the fate of the pilots was not known.
The F-15K jet was returning to its base in Daegu when it crashed near Chilgok, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at 2:38 pm (0538 GMT), the Air Force said. A rescue team, backed by firefighters, reached the crash site and discovered the plane's wreckage.
Officials said the operation has been hampered by a thick fog. About 60 F-15Ks are in operation. Two pilots were killed in 2006 when an F-15K crashed off the east coast during its night operation.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
