S. Korea, U.S. launch joint underwater survey for Korean War aircraft wreckage

Seoul and Washington have initiated a collaborative underwater search project off South Korea's eastern coast, aimed at uncovering wreckage from U.S. aircraft that plummeted during the 1950-53 Korean War, according to Seoul's defense ministry. The initiative, slated to conclude on August 28, is set to unfold in the coastal regions of Gangneung and Yangyang, within Gangwon Province.

The endeavor involves over 40 personnel, including representatives from South Korea's Navy First Fleet, Air Force's 18th Fighter Wing, alongside U.S. underwater strategists and divers.

The expedition commences in waters adjacent to Yangyang County, located approximately 215 kilometers east of the capital Seoul. The primary objective is to locate the remains of a U.S. F4U Corsair fighter jet, which met its untimely demise while safeguarding another damaged U.S. attack aircraft in February 1952. The crash resulted in one pilot's demise.

Subsequently, the research team will shift its focus to recovering the wreckage of U.S. military transport aircraft, identified as the Curtiss C-46 Commando. This aircraft went down in the Gangneung area, around 170 kilometers east of Seoul, on two separate occasions in October and November 1952. The first incident left 17 individuals unaccounted for, while the second tragedy claimed the lives of two crew members and left seven others missing.

The joint survey team intends to employ underwater detection apparatus and offshore unmanned systems, along with deploying divers or remote sensing devices to inspect the location once remains are identified. The partnership between Seoul and Washington is a testament to their concerted efforts to locate the remains of U.S. soldiers who perished during the war, following the signing of a pact to conduct such excavations in 2011.