South Korea and the United States are conducting a joint survey in the Gangneung and Yangyang areas of Gangwon Province to locate the remains of military aircraft crew members whose planes crashed into the East Sea during the Korean War, the Ministry of National Defense said.
The survey runs from June 6 through July 1. Conducted jointly by the Ministry of National Defense's Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification and the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), the survey serves as a preparatory step ahead of a joint underwater investigation planned for August.
The two agencies will collect tips from local residents at the site and inspect survey conditions, including verifying civilian-owned medical decompression chamber facilities essential for underwater operations.
The underwater investigation targets a transport aircraft crash that occurred on November 15, 1952. The aircraft, which took off from Gangneung Air Base bound for Pohang Air Base, crashed into the East Sea due to engine failure, leaving nine people missing, including the pilot. One Republic of Korea Army soldier was also reportedly aboard the downed aircraft.
The two agencies will also use the current survey to gather information on separate aircraft crashes that occurred in February and October 1952.
The investigation covers a fighter jet crash that occurred in waters near Yangyang on February 21, 1951, and a transport aircraft crash near Gangneung on October 16 of the same year that left 17 people missing.
"We have agreed to expand joint survey activities with the U.S. DPAA compared to last year," said Colonel Kim Sung-hwan (Army Lieutenant Colonel), acting head of the Ministry of National Defense's Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification. "This is evidence that the South Korea-U.S. cooperation on remains recovery is being further strengthened and developed."