The debris of the F-15K is scattered on a mountain in Chilgok, North Gyeongsang Province, Thursday. / Yonhap

Rescue workers arrive at the scene of the accident. / Yonhap



By Kim Se-jeong



An Air Force jet crashed into a mountain in Chilgok, North Gyeongsang Province, 216 kilometers southeast of Seoul, Thursday, killing two pilots, the Air Force said.

The military initially said both ejected from the jet safely. No civilian damage was reported. The crash site is close to a golf course.

The crashed jet was an F-15K that was returning to an Air Force base in Daegu after an airstrike exercise. The crash happened at 2:47 p.m.

Witnesses said they heard explosions in the distance. Local fire authorities have dispatched two helicopters, trucks and 50 personnel to the crash scene to extinguish fire and collect debris.

"We're looking to find how the jet fell from the air and crashed," the Air Force said.

The Air Force saw a similar incident in 2016. An F-16D fighter jet crashed during an exercise in Cheongsong, North Gyeongsang Province, 322 kilometers south of Seoul. The jet was conducting an air-to-ground strike drill when the accident occurred.