April 6 (UPI) -- The United States and South Korea began a joint investigation Monday to locate the wreckage of at least three U.S. aircraft that crashed off South Korea's northeastern coast during the Korean War, officials said.
The four-week survey of the Gangneung and Yangyang areas of northeastern Gangwon Province seeks to trace the wreckage of a fighter plane and two transport aircraft, ahead of underwater investigations scheduled for August, South Korea's Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
The joint survey is being conducted by the Pentagon's POW/MIA Accounting Agency and South Korea's Ministry of National Defense Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification, which will collect materials, including information from local residents, as well as confirm the availability of medical decompression chamber facilities essential for underwater operations.
"Since 2024, I have been coming to Korea for three years to work with MAKRI to find traces of the heroes who fought in the war," U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Jordyn King, deputy team leader of the Pentagon's DPAA investigation team in South Korea, said in a statement.
"During the one month given to us, we will carefully gather materials so that we can achieve good results in the future underwater investigation."
