US F-16 Fighter Jet Crashes into Waters off Korean Peninsula

South Korea – The United States (US) F-16 fighter jet crashed into the Yellow Sea off the Korean Peninsula, as the pilot ejected from the plane and was rescued. 

The fighter jet crashed in the waters on Monday while it was training near the US Air Force base in Gunsan, according to Yonhap News - media from South Korea. 

"The pilot ejected from the flight moments before the crash and was safely rescued by US military officials," it said. 

The United States officials in South Korea and South Korea’s defence ministry spokesperson could not immediately confirm the report.

The US military base at Gunsan airport is about 180km south of Seoul and has approximately 2,800 air force members, army soldiers and other officials at the installation.

It comes as North Korea on Monday criticised South Korea and the US for “walking on the path of confrontation and war” by staging joint military drills, according to Pyongyang’s official Rodong Sinmun newspaper.

It called the joint drills "futile" provocative acts that will only hasten the South Korea’s destruction and slammed Seoul for recklessly running amok to stage a war in the peninsula.

"Having the US on its back, the puppet group is pursuing an ambition for a northern invasion and walking on the path to confrontation and war. Its rash act is foolish and a futile bravado that hastens its ruin," Yonhap remarked. 

South Korea and the United States have intensified training exercises in the region in the wake of North Korea’s increasing ballistic missile tests, including the banned new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).